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Bless me at this time with boldness and clarity to preach your words and I just pray we'll all be attentive on your words here tonight We just pray this all in Jesus name. Amen Now we're gonna be in Exodus 34 pretty much the entire sermon other than going to verses and passages here and there and just give You a little bit of groundwork on this chapter. This chapter symbolizes a person getting close to God a Christian getting close to God It doesn't symbolize getting saved Everybody seems to try to apply everything in the Bible to salvation the word saving the Bible appears lots of times It has nothing to do with spiritual salvation But you know a lot of people try to apply this salvation But you don't have to climb a mountain to be saved we go soul-winning and we tell them it's as easy as eating a slice Of bread that's how easy it is Jesus did all the work for us This has nothing to do with getting saved, but it does symbolize a believer getting close to God So we're gonna have four points here and the first point let's go back to the first three verses of Exodus 34 It says in the Lord said unto Moses Hugh thee two tables of stone like unto the first and I'll write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables which thou breakest and be ready in the morning and come up in the morning on to Mount Sinai and Present thyself there to me in the top of the mount and no man shall come up with thee Neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount neither Let the flocks nor herds feed before that Mount now in these first three verses what I notice here the instructions that God gives to Moses they are simple instructions. He does not make it complicated. He does not make it confusing He makes it very simple what he wants Moses to do. Okay. This is the way God operates This book is not a confusing book the basics of how to live the Christian life. They're not complicated I mean who I mean the Bible says to read there in all the days of their life We're supposed to read the Bible every day who here would raise their hand and say brother Stuckey I had no idea I was supposed to read the Bible every day now that you said it I'm gonna start doing it Is there anyone who'd raise their hand and say that no everybody in here knew they're supposed to knows they're supposed to read the Bible Everybody in here knows they're supposed to pray everybody in here knows they're supposed to go to church see God's instructions They're not complicated. Okay. Nobody is going to be a believer and read through the Bible cover to cover every year and after 20 years They come to the conclusion. Wow. I just realized we're supposed to spank our kids I never realized that now because God made it simple. He made it easy to understand. It's very simple It's not complicated where you have to be some sort of guru or go to Bible calls to understand it No, it's very simple in this book God outlined if you're saved and you have the Holy Spirit inside of you It's not going to be complicated turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 14. I'm gonna read you Habakkuk 2 2 you're in 1st Corinthians chapter 14 Habakkuk 2 2 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible says and The Lord answered me and said write the vision and make it plain upon tables That he may run that readeth it. So what God says here is write the vision make it Plain, okay, not complicated. We're submit post make it plain. We're supposed to make it understandable I mean it makes perfect sense I mean at my job sometimes my boss gives me assignments to do and maybe other people here as well if your boss writes down something and you can't Read what he's wrote. You can't even understand what he's saying. You can't accomplish it He wants to make the instructions simple so you can accomplish the task I mean if you have kids and you just and you want them to clean the room and do specific things You're gonna make the instructions simple so they can understand what they need to do You're not just gonna say something vaguely and they have to try to figure it out You know, you want to make it simple So then basically all they have to do is obey you and see this is the way God operates Okay, he doesn't want to make it complicated. So we have no idea what we want to do. He makes it very simple He makes it very plain This is the way we ought to do whenever we're trying to teach someone anything going out soul-winning We try to make it plain I mean how many people do not get saved because the message of salvation they hear is not playing at all. It's fuzzy. It's complicated I mean a lot of times you'll see these these tracks from various churches these invitations and they sound great and at the very end It says it's all Jesus, but you got to repent of your sins now, that's not playing at all That's complicated doesn't make any sense because playing I mean if it's all Jesus That means you don't have to do anything. You don't have to add anything to it And when it says repent of your sins, that's work salvation That's what the Bible teaches and see when we're going soul-winning It's our job to make it plain to make it simple I mean look at the examples God gives in the Bible. He talks about a gift is a gift complicated or can we understand it? He talks about being born again. That's pretty simple. We can understand that example He talks about being a just judge or drinking a glass of water. Those are things that we understand So we go out soul-winning we need to make it plain I mean whenever you preach God's Word when I wrote this sermon You know I came up with all of the verses the passages I wanted to use and then I looked at it and I said is this Gonna be presented in a way where people can understand what I wanted them to understand I mean if you walked away here and you just heard me getting up here and screaming and pounding the pulpit for 40 minutes And you're like, oh wow, that was great and you had no idea what I really said. It doesn't help anybody here Okay, it's my job right now to make this plane make it understandable why that he may run that readeth it I mean we need to be able to run the Christian race now in this verse here in a back at 2 2 and stay in 1st Corinthians 14 But it says that he may run that readeth it that is usually the problem because people do not read this book Okay See God has outlined all the instructions in the entire world for us and most people don't even crack this book on a daily basis I mean, it doesn't make any sense I mean you go through so many problems in life and if we would just read this book It is worth spending the 15 minutes a day the 30 minutes a day the hour day However long it is worth it to get the instructions we need in order to run the Christian race and there's a lot of people out there that are making so many mistakes in life Because they simply do not know what this book says But see here's the thing you cannot blame God if you're saved You have the perfect word of God the King James Bob in the English language You have the Holy Spirit of God inside of you You cannot blame God because you didn't know what to do because God did not make it complicated God made it plain and that is usually the problem that we do not read this book enough Even the new things I discover in the Bible usually it's stuff I probably should have known a long time ago, but I didn't read this book enough in first Corinthians chapter 14 starting at verse number 6 The Bible reads now brethren if I come on to you speaking with tongues What shall I profit you? Except I shall speak to you either by revelation or by knowledge or by prophesying or by doctrine and even things without life giving sound Whether pipe or harp except they give a distinction in the sounds How shall it be known was piped or harped for the trumpet given uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise II except II utter by the tongue words easy to be understood How shall it be known what is spoken for you shall speak in the air? But what the Bible is saying here is that we need to utter words that are Understandable. Okay. I'm not going to get up here and start speaking in another language that very few people understand That doesn't help anybody out whatsoever and the words I use here. I'm not trying to use big words that nobody understands I'm trying to use words that people understand I mean, it's funny that when people go to Bible college, they learn all of these big words that I've even heard I mean, I remember hermeneutics is one word But there's a lot of other words that I have no idea what they mean and you'll hear people talk and they'll use these words And it makes them look really intelligent, but it doesn't help anybody out because if people don't understand what's being said How does that profit them, you know my background in terms of work, you know A lot most people probably don't know me too. Well is a math background, you know I went to college and got a math degree I do math every day on my job and you one thing you know about math teachers is most of them are Terrible teachers. Okay, and it's not because they aren't smart enough because most math teachers are very intelligent I had classes with professors that I was like man that guy is so much more intelligent than me But he had no idea how to teach what he knew It didn't do any good that he could do the most complicated problems in the world It doesn't matter how smart you are It honestly it doesn't even matter how much you know this book if you can't teach and train and teach other people in the morning Sermon talking about teaching your wives as husbands You need to be able to teach this book and show them not just have the knowledge But actually show them what this book says and see that is the way God operates He tells us to use words that are easy to understand go down to turn to 1st Corinthians not 1st Corinthians 2 turn to Proverbs chapter 1 Proverbs 1 and I'll read to you Deuteronomy chapter 29 verse 29 The Bible reads the secret things belong unto the Lord our God But those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever That we may do all the words of this law See the Bible talks about things being revealed So we're able to do those things written in the law If God made it a complete mystery where we couldn't understand the Bible then how in the world would we be able to accomplish it? You know there's countries around the world with various religions I know a missionary we had from the country of Georgia, and there's the Georgian Orthodox Church in Georgia pretty much everybody in the country Goes to that church It's kind of like Russian Orthodox or Greek Orthodox very similar And they basically he said they basically taught people that if you try to learn the Bible and try to understand it that you're basically Going to be damned to hell for trying to understand this book and the only way you can learn it is from the priest Themself I mean that is so wicked and that's what the Catholic Church did in the past it still happens today as well And there's a story this guy actually got saved and he heard the truth, and he kind of searched it out He asked his priests and his priests made him feel really guilty and said you've got to give this much money do this and this Otherwise you have no chance to ever go to heaven and a missionary actually ended up getting him saved You know later on in his life, but I mean God's revealed these things to us. He wants us to read this book He wants us to know these things, so we're able to accomplish this we don't have any excuse this book is right here in this Country there is no excuse. I mean we have this book right here on my cell phone I can pop it up in a couple seconds the King James Bible you can read cover to cover I mean, there's so many apps so it's so cheap I mean so easy to get the Word of God It doesn't cost money and go to a dollar store and get it and yet people do not read it And that's why they don't understand these things in 1st Peter 2 to stay in Proverbs chapter 1 and I'll read 1st Peter 2 2 It says as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby so the Bible says we're gonna grow by reading his word in Proverbs chapter 1 Starting at verse number 1 the Bible reads the Proverbs of Solomon the son of David king of Israel to know wisdom and instruction to perceive the words of understanding To receive the instruction of wisdom justice and judgment and equity to give subtly to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion Wisdom cryeth without or going down to verse number 20 Sorry about that jump down to verse number 20 in Proverbs 1 it says wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the streets She cryeth in the chief place of concourse in the openings of the gates in the city She uttereth her words saying how long ye simple ones will you love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof behold. I will pour out my spirit on you I will make known my words on you isn't it pretty obvious God wants us to know his word He did not make it complicated me wisdom is crying out the answers are right here And yet people do not read this book But God did not make it complicated. We do not have any excuses you can go back to Exodus chapter 34 So the first point is basically this God did not give us complicated instructions. He gave us very simple instructions turn to Exodus 34 And you know I don't want anybody to get confused about this this book is an infinite book There are deep things in the Word of God obviously books like Ezekiel are a little bit less Transparent than books in the New Testament But the in terms of living the Christian life though in terms of what we need to do to live the Christian life That is not complicated. Okay now obviously the bank in Ezekiel talks about the wheels, okay? If you have an interpretation, I don't know what it's talking about. It's kind of confusing There's parts in the Bible that are confusing But the parts of the Bible that are confusing are not the basics of how to live the Christian life You know I used to coach High school soccer team in Arizona, and it was interesting on the first day of practice I played soccer my entire life pretty much the first day of practice I saw all these kids doing all of these complicated tricks and everything and I was thinking man these kids are going to be great And then once they actually started scrimmaging they couldn't pass the ball. They couldn't trap they couldn't shoot those were the very fundamental things They actually needed to know how to do they had learned all these crazy tricks, okay? And see the thing is the very fundamentals are the most important thing reading the Bible Memorizing the Bible going so winning going to church those are the basics right there praying those are the basics Okay, that is the really really important stuff, and if you become very good at that stuff You're gonna be a very good Christian You don't have to worry about the first thing I've never read the Bible cover to cover But I'm gonna go to Ezekiel chapter 17 and try to figure out what this verse means I mean just keep reading the Bible just keep learning the basic start going sewing regularly Memorizing the Bible praying and you're gonna learn the deep things But you got to do it in a matter of time first get the basics down very solid and get very good at those things That's the way God operates, okay So the first point is this God's instructions are not complicated going down to verse number four in Exodus 34 just verse number four and he huge two tables of stone like onto the first and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up onto Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him and Took in his hand the two tables of stone Now Moses life can really be divided into segments of 40 okay when he really started his ministry He was 80 years old at this point. He is older than 80 years old He's not a young person at this time people in this time period were living a pretty normal lifespan They were not living to be 800 years old like they were in some of the the chapters of Genesis They were living a normal lifespan Moses is not a young man Okay, see the second point is this even though the instructions are simple. They're not easy to accomplish Okay, see Moses is older than 80 years old, and he's climbing a mountain. Okay. Not only is climbing a mountain He is taking two stones with him. I don't think these are little pebbles Okay, he is carrying these things up a mountain older than the age of 80. You know I like to run a lot I like to work out, and I'm only 30 years old, but climbing a mountain. It's difficult It is not an easy thing to do okay, and Moses here is older than 80 And he is climbing a mountain you know buddy of mine I know brother Alessandro saw this video my friend back in West Virginia is very strong guy Mike Mike Meludich, and he can It's called. I guess a farmer's walk and he had 275 pounds in each hand and he was walking on flat ground and the first couple steps was really hard to get his momentum going And then he started going now. I cannot pick up 275 pounds with with either of my arms that that's a lot of 550 pounds I think it was that he was carrying I mean that that's pretty impressive Moses here even if it's it probably wasn't 550 pounds But even if it's just a small amount if you're carrying something for a long period of time it gets pretty tiring I mean it doesn't take a long time and Moses here is climbing a mountain see just as as much as God's Instructions are simple. They are just as difficult to accomplish Okay, there's not only is Moses climbing a mountain you got to think of something when you look at a mountain The very bottom of the mountain is not as steep as the top of the mountain it gets more steep as you go And it makes sense because in God uses physical examples, so we can understand the spiritual How many people do you see in church that start going so winning that used to go? So winning to this church that are not here tonight. We're not here in the morning They haven't been here in months or a year or whatever so many people they start sprinting the Christian life They start making it up the mountain, and then they just decide it's too difficult. It's too hard They can't make it up the top of the mountain not only does it get steeper as you go But you know I thought about this recently When I was a kid I I used to watch pretty much every soccer game the u.s. Was in and we would play Mexico pretty much every year we play in the United States And then we play in Mexico as well the elevation where we would play in Mexico was far higher in the air The higher you get the less oxygen you have and so the United States team would always show up a few weeks before The game to train in higher altitude otherwise they would not have the cardio in order to compete And so what happens teams would go to higher elevations. They'll play the first half and do really well and in the second half They have no endurance because they haven't trained where there's less oxygen and see that's another thing the higher you get up a mountain There's less oxygen. It is more difficult. You pretty much have to crawl your way up especially in the Christian life I mean it is that difficult it gets steeper. There's less oxygen. It is a battle I mean it is hard to live the Christian life. Just as easy as it is to be saved It's just as difficult to live the Christian life most people are not going out there zealously soul-winning every week and reading the Bible every day that is not what's happening across the world or across this country across Sacramento that has not happened because it is too Difficult for people people do not want to put in the effort turn to 1st Timothy chapter 6 you First timothy chapter 6 starting at verse 11 the Bible reads But thou a man of God flee these things and follow after righteousness godliness faith love patience meekness fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life weren't you thou art also called and Has professed a good profession before many witnesses the Bible says verse number 12 fight the good Fight of faith it is a fight living the Christian life It is hard enough to live for God and just read the Bible on your own But not only that people are casting stones at you from every direction Family members don't want to talk to you anymore Friends you used to be friends with they don't want to have anything to do with you It is hard to stay dedicated and live the Christian life That is why it's so important to be so involved in church because this is a church family here people that you can go to People that are actual friends that you can care about and care about you It is so important to be involved in this church every service. It is important to be here. Okay, this it pretty much Recently we were in steadfast Baptist visiting and I remember pastor Maris said something that stuck with me He looked down. He said this is my family that really really stuck with me And honestly, that's the truth for a lot of people if you have a lot of members in your family that are saved and love The Lord that's great But that is the minority Most people do not have lots of family members that love the Lord and that go soul-winning and read the Bible if you do you Are truly blessed to have that but most people do not have that it is a fight to live the Christian life It is hard enough just with our own flesh battling us much less all the other Persecutions that are out there so many people drop along the way because it is difficult to live the Christian life turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and I'm gonna read you 1st Corinthians 9 you're in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 1st Corinthians 9 verse 26 it says I therefore so run not as uncertainly so Fight I not as one that beateth the air once again. He gives the analogy of a fight the Christian life It's a fight. It's a battle I mean when you when you think about fighting when you think about something like wrestling Wrestling is one of the most tiring things you could possibly do it is one of the hardest possible things You know I when I played soccer I ran and ran and ran all the time But I used to wrestle with my friends just for fun and just after five minutes you have no energy I mean I could run for ten miles, but five minutes of wrestling. I'm out of it. That is how difficult it is I mean a fight. It's it taxes you it takes out so much energy 2nd Timothy chapter 4 starting at verse 5 It says, but what's thou in all things? Endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist make full proof of thy ministry For I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course. I have kept the faith I mean it is a fight to live the Christian life sadly if you go down to verse number 10 This is what ends up happening with most people it says for Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world There are so many Demas is out there people that have quit the Christian life because it was too Difficult it says in Luke chapter 8 a lot of people are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life There's a lot or other people that in time of temptation fall away There are a lot of believers out there that when things get tough They end up quitting or basically that they go back to their own worldly lifestyle It was easier to keep watching the worldly music listen listen the worldly music watch the worldly TV and people don't make fun of you They don't mock you they don't think you're weird you end up being just like everybody else That is a lot easier to do and sadly that is the direction most people do When you think about it there are two ways down a mountain There's only one way up a mountain the only way up a mountain is to climb up that mountain or to crawl up that mountain You've got to go forward up that mountain now Here's the thing most people as they sprint up the mountain or as they're jogging as they're going they're living the Christian life Eventually they turn 180 degrees and they start walking down the mountain that is the vast majority of people But there's another group of people that are going to fall down the mountain I use this analogy recently, and I don't want to use the same analogy, but is a really good analogy when I was a kid I had a buddy of mine who climbed a really steep hill and he got to the top before me and I was only about 10 feet away And it was one of these where you're really really low to the ground just slowly grab I mean crawl on the ground basically you grab a hold of a tree trunk and you rest for a few seconds Then you find some sturdy branches in the ground you're slowly working your way up the hill And I got near the top and I grabbed a hold of these branches on the ground that I thought were rooted into the ground And they ripped right up, and I just started sliding down the mountain and see honestly Everyone who's facing upwards and pressing on the upper way to try to live for the Lord and get close to God You're going to have days and weeks and time periods in your life Where you stumbled down the mountain and you're not as close to God as you used to be and you have to retread the same Ground and get back up and get back in the fight and go up and climb that mountain Everybody's going to have time periods in their life where they backslide a little bit and and the the sad thing is this Oftentimes when you start to backslide a little bit you climb up oftentimes it gets too difficult And then you turn around and make a conscious effort to basically give up and just walk down the mountain And that is a lot easier, but even if you're climbing a mountain you're going to slip along the way You're going to fall and go backwards along the way at times And you have to get back up and start climbing that mountain again. It says in 1st Peter chapter 5 verses 8 and 9 it Says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world the Bible says to Resist the devil. I mean he is a roaring lion. He is trying to destroy your life He does not like it if you're living for the Lord now the great thing is is God Promises that if you resist him he's going to flee from you and James Ford says submit yourselves therefore to God Resist the devil and he will flee from you. It's not he might flee from you. He is going to flee from you Okay, the devil is not going to waste his time with you if you decide I'm going to be a church no matter what happens Eventually the devil says I'm not going to waste my time with brother Alessandro because you know what there's other people that will quit on church if I bug them brother Alessandro is going to be here at church no matter what and everyone if you resist the devil he's going to flee from you You're going to have times in your life when you're trying to read the Bible every day And you don't feel like reading it resist the devil you have times in your life You don't feel like going to church Hey Resist the devil go to church no matter what be a pattern in your life that you keep doing the basics of the life Every day no matter what every week you're out soul winning every week You're in church every day. You're reading the Bible and praying you need to stay in this pattern you need to resist the devil He is trying to destroy your life It says in Galatians 6 9 and let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season We shall reap if we faint not we can't faint we cannot give up this fight There are so many lost people out there if we give up the fight Then so many people are going to go to hell because it was too difficult for us now who cares what we want Think about it doesn't really matter what we want when people are lost and on their way to hell It doesn't really matter what you want you say. I don't really like so winning. It doesn't matter We need to be so winning no matter what we need to be in this fight Hey, do not give up you know in a crowd this big I guarantee you there are people that recently have thought about it's just too difficult Because that still creeps into my mind from time to time where I still think man. It was just a lot easier Maybe I'd have more fun back in the world But that's a lie from the devil and that creeps in you will not have fun back in the world I mean if you are zealous and living for the Lord and you backslide You're never going to be happy knowing what you used to do. It is not worth it you must stay in the fight you can turn back to Exodus 34 and The other real example I thought about this of getting close to God Was when Peter walked on the water to get close to Jesus now climbing a mountain is difficult walking on the water is impossible I mean that would take quite a bit of faith. I'm pretty amazed Peter went out at all I really don't think that I would have I mean getting close to God It is not an easy thing you think of the examples in the Bible I mean, I always tell people so winning getting saved is as easy as eating a slice of bread But is it easy to live a good life every day? It's not it is difficult the Bible even says the thought of foolishness is sin every day I think pretty much everyone has foolish thoughts. We are all sinners. I mean it is difficult to live the Christian life So the first point was this God's instructions are simple, but the second point is this they're very difficult to accomplish I want to show you the result though when you do accomplish this when you do get start to get close to God in Exodus 34 drop down to verse number 28 in Exodus chapter 34 It says in Exodus 34 verse starting verse 28, and he was there with the Lord 40 days in 40 nights He did neither eat bread nor drink water And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant the Ten Commandments And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses hand When he came down from the mount that Moses was not that the skin of his face shown while he talked with him and when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses behold the skin of his face shown and They were afraid to come nigh him So what we see here like I said at the beginning this symbolizes a person getting close to God This is a physical story that actually happened and Moses physically was changed When he got close to God now if you get close to God in your life You're not physically going to be changed, but you know what's going to be But you are going to be a different person you're spiritually going to be a much different person in 2nd Corinthians 517 it says therefore if any man be in Christ. He is a new creature old things are passed away Behold all things are become new this is a very misunderstood verse in the Bible because people seem to think when you get saved you Magically just start changing. That's not the way it works Yeah, I tell people all the time if a drunk got saved right now guess what he's still a drunk because he still has the same Flesh all things are become new because the Holy Spirit of God is now in dwelling him But see the flesh is still sinful the flesh has not changed now see here's the thing When you start living for the Lord though instead of the old man manifesting itself in your life The new man is now manifesting itself see the old Matthew Stuckey More than anything. I love soccer which you probably can notice from this sermon I love soccer, but see the new Matthew Stuckey loves soul-winning more than soccer the new Matthew Stuckey loves reading the Bible and praying See the spirit of God loves the things of the Lord. It doesn't love the things that the flesh loved in Colossians 3 you can actually turn there in Colossians 3 verses 9 through 10 I Think people oftentimes make a mistake when they're looking at the Bible and they try to apply everything to salvation When so much of the Bible is about just living the Christian life You know that we're right now currently in the book of James and that book is geared at Christians living the Christian life You can't just take random verses and say well see you got to do this to be safe That's not what the purpose of the book is about It's geared towards Christians running the race Says in Colossians 3 9 and 9 and 10 lie Not one to another seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man Which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him You see there's a difference between the old man and the new man See the old man enjoyed whatever sports and music and movies whatever you're interested That's the old man. See the Spirit of God the new man. It doesn't like the movies It doesn't like the the music that's out there. It doesn't like the sports. It doesn't want to spend it Sunday watching I I don't know the Sacramento Kings Instead of going soul winning or reading the Bible or being in church See the new man does not care about the Sacramento Kings see the old man cares about the Sacramento Kings But the new man does not care about sports. The new man does not care about the music and the movies that's out there It does not care at all Now the old man cares about it see my old man it cares about those things and those thoughts creep in your head from Time to time about man. I wish I could watch this or listen to this. It sounds good. It feels good It doesn't matter if it feels good That is not what God wants you to do. The new man does not want that in Ephesians chapter 4 starting at verse number 22 It says that you put off concerning the form of conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man Which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, you know I could have turned to a lot of other places in the Bible that talk about this But you can see is throughout the Bible where God says to put on the new man. It is a commandment from God We need to put on the new man. We need to forget about the old man forget about what we used to like It does not matter. You need to start living for the Lord. That is what God commands us to do So the first point was this you can go back to Exodus 34 The first point is God gives us simple instructions and the second point is they're they're difficult to accomplish Now the third point is this if you do get close to God though You're gonna be changed. You're gonna be a different person There's a reason why your old buddy says, you know, yeah, you don't like to do the things you liked anymore Yeah, you don't want to go to the movies. You don't listen music. You don't watch these games with us There's a reason why they're acting differently around you because it's not the same person anymore That was the old man. They were friends with they aren't friends with the new man You see the people that aren't say they're not gonna be friends with a person. That's a zealous soul winner It is not gonna happen Your old friends are gonna reject you and they're gonna reveal that they are not really your friends that might I mean you might be Offended by that but that is that is the truth, you know Someone who loves the Lord. Those are your real friends. That is who we need to be friends with. Okay, and The fourth point is this going back to these verses we're gonna read verses 29 and 30 again It says and it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses hand when he came down from the mount that Moses wished not that the skin of his face shown why talk with him and When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses behold the skin of his face shown and they were afraid to come nigh him Now I noticed a few things in these verses Moses does not realize it says he wished not that the skin of his face shown He does not realize that he's been changed now Everybody else realizes Aaron notices I mean everybody else notices and it says they are afraid to come nigh him Okay, see here's the thing when you get close to God you might not recognize the difference in yourself We're around ourselves 24 hours a day every single day. Nobody changes that much in one day Okay, if you're climbing a mountain you can't in a short time just make it to the top It's gonna take a long time to get there and that's the Christian life. Nobody is gonna change so much in just one day It's gonna take a long time to get zealous and more zealous for the Lord become a better Christian but here's the thing people Don't necessarily see us every day and all of a sudden if they haven't seen us for a few weeks and all of a sudden You're like, I don't know if I want to want to watch that movie They're gonna start noticing a difference and the truth is they're probably gonna be afraid to come nigh on you They're gonna start acting Differently towards you than they used to act to you and and here's the thing when you're living for the Lord You're probably not gonna realize that difference I can't really a point to a point in my life where I thought I was really changing a lot Other than when I got saved But when I look at back at myself from 12 13 years ago when I got saved I used to listen to hard rock music I used to watch all the gangster movies. I used to watch all this violence and all these these blasphemous shows like Family Guy I don't do that anymore. I'm definitely a much different person, but honestly, I can't really point to a day where I said man I've changed a lot. It's just over time It's slowly happened, but honestly, even though I did not realize I was changing all my old friends They're not my friends anymore the people that I was there's not a single friend of mine from Before I got saved that I'm friends with now. I Don't I can't really point to a time in my life where I really started to change But everybody else noticed this about me and what's interesting about this is Aaron is not some random person Aaron is Moses brother Aaron is his older brother and Aaron was pretty zealous living for the Lord. He did a lot of great things for the Lord and Aaron is afraid to come nigh unto him and see that is the truth even the people that are closest to you They might be afraid to come 90 They might start acting a little bit strange around you because you're a little bit different Even people at this church if you got on fire for God more than you were before Even other people at this church Might be a little bit weary because they're a little bit different than you were before and that's the truth And here's the thing we need to know this because if you get on fire for God You might expect other people to be really enthusiastic about how you're doing great things for God They might not be you cannot let that bring you down Even if it's someone else who loves look don't let them bring you down because they're not as enthusiastic They don't react the way you expect them to because honestly they're probably going to react differently because you're different than you used to be turn to first Samuel chapter 10 You know, it's a sad reality, but it's true But you know, I think there's something in our flesh that really likes to To be upset when someone else has success in life You know when someone else gets the promotion that you thought you deserve or that you wanted to get there's a little part of you That's up. Even if it's someone you care about oftentimes. I feel myself There's a little part of me that isn't really happy for their success and that's a wicked thought especially when we're talking about the Bible if someone at this church starts really get on getting on fire and reading the Bible more and getting lots of people say We should not be upset We should not let a thought spring up in our head saying well, they're getting people saved But you know what? They don't always dress right that is a pretty wicked thought I mean think about this it is hard enough living the Christian life It's gonna be even more difficult when other people that you think are your friends are casting stones at you That's the last thing we should be doing. We should be happy for other people's success, especially when it comes to living for the Lord You know, it's amazing that it's interesting when someone first gets on fire for God There's some areas where they might be doing really well They might start coming out soul winning and coming to all the services. They might start reading the Bible They might preach here at the preaching nights But there's still a lot of areas in their life that they that probably need to be fixed They might lack patience from time to time. They might lack mercy from time to time They might have a lot they might not be dressed, right? They might have a lot of things in their life That need to be changed and here's the thing We should be happy at the things they're doing that are correct as long as someone is facing upward towards God We should be happy no matter what the speed as long as you're going forward because it is hard enough to live the Christian life If someone's going faster than you. Hey, praise God as long as you're still going up the mountain. That is what counts Let us not be upset at other people Let us not turn around to other people that are really living the Christian life and cast stones and make their way more difficult It is hard enough. They probably have everybody else forsaking them. Don't be that person That's gonna forsake them or act weird around them Do not be that person but you know if you do get on fire for God realize that there are gonna be people that you Know that are probably gonna act differently. They're gonna be afraid to come nine of you in first Samuel chapter 10 Verse 9 it says and it was so that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel God gave him another heart and all those signs came to pass that day and when they came there to the hill behold a company of prophets met him and the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied among them and It came to pass when all that knew him before time saw that behold he prophesied among the prophets Then the people said one to another what is this that is that has come unto the Son of Kish is Saul also among the prophets verse number 12 who one of the same place answered said, but who is their father? Therefore became a proverb is Saul also among the prophets notice in verse number 11 It says when all that knew him before time see they are just they're surprised It's like this is Saul. I mean he's acting completely different than he used to do They are acting differently around him because Saul has changed the Spirit of God has come upon him That's what the Bible says turn to Acts chapter 4. We're just gonna look at a few more passages here In Acts chapter 4 starting at verse number 7 it says and when they had set them in the midst they asked by what power Or by what name have you done this then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said to them ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole Be it known on you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom he crucified Whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand here before you whole This is the stone which was said it not of you builders Which has become the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven Given among men whereby we must be saved Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceive that they were unlearned and ignorant men They marveled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Here's two people Peter and John they're completely different than they used to be people can tell well There's something different about these people because they had gotten close to God It wasn't just that they got saved, but they actually got close to God turn to Acts 9. This is the last place We're gonna look Acts chapter 9 a surrogate verse 19 it says and when he had received meat he was strengthened Then was saw certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus and straightway He preached Christ in the synagogues that he is the Son of God But all that hurt him were amazed and said is not this he that destroyed them was called on this name in Jerusalem And came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound on to the chief priests You see if Saul had gotten saved, but didn't start living for the Lord people would not have reacted that way It's not just getting saved, but it's when you actually start getting close to God There's going to be a change in your life everything you used to be interested in it's going to change There's a lot of people that get saved and there's really not a discernible change in their life There's a lot of people that get saved that still drink that still party that never come to church that Hardly ever pray don't read the Bible and there's nothing different because the old man is still manifesting itself They're not putting on the new man, so nothing is different about their life So the points we have here is the first point God gives us simple instructions See nobody in this room really has an excuse for not living for the Lord I mean if you're saved you have the King James Bible you have a church that is preaching the truth to you There is no excuse to not live for the Lord The second point is this so it is difficult. I mean it is definitely difficult I'm not going to sit up here and say that it's easy, but we do not have an excuse the third point is this when you do get close to God there's going to be a difference in your life and The fourth point when you get close to God you might not notice the difference But other people around you are going to notice the difference now I want to give everybody here a challenge here tonight because in the story you notice Moses was there for 40 days and 40 nights It's kind of interesting on the timing of the sermon I'm not sure if it's a coincidence that there's nine days left in June if you start tomorrow morning June 22nd to June 30th that is nine days. There's 31 days in July That's 40 days from the end of June to July if you wake up on August 1st If you decide tomorrow morning I want to challenge you to start really living for the Lord Bump up your Christianity start really getting on fire for God And I want to challenge you that if you do that on August 1st when you wake up I believe you're going to be able to say people started acting differently around me than they used to that's my challenge that if you get On fire for God see if people start acting differently now. They might not tell you man You're on fire, but if they start acting differently There's probably a reason if you start getting on fire for God people around you might start acting differently I'm taking up that challenge myself. I thought of three things in my life that I really I have a lot of things I need to change everybody does I thought of three things I really want to focus on really strongly and see if the people that are close to me the people that around me all the Time if they notice the difference I challenge everybody in this room to take up that same challenge as well for 40 days and see If on August 1st when you wake up if other people have noticed the difference in you Let's close in a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for allowing us to be here this evening I just ask you to help us remember these words and Take this with us in our lives and just help us to take up this challenge to really start living for you even more than We did before of these next 40 days. We just pray this all in Jesus name Amen