How Can I Relate to God? - Part A

The basic problem is how can a mortal relate to somebody who is immortal and transcendent and invisible. But it shows the desire that all people have to somehow relate to one who is immortal, transcendent and invisible. The subject of God is the loftiest of all things and the pinnacle of all pursuits.

But did you know that you can know him personally? Today on Connect with Skip Heitzing, Skip shares how you can relate to and grow even closer to the Lord. Before we begin, here's a resource that will help take your prayer life to a new level. Recent research has found that Google searches for the word prayer have surged worldwide alongside the spread of the novel coronavirus. In fact, Google Trends data shows that the search intensity for prayer doubles for every 8,000 COVID-19 cases. But is there a right way or a more effective way to pray?

Here's best-selling author Kay Arthur. Where the battles raging were to be on the front lines, on the front lines on our knees, on the front line standing in the full armor of God. Kay's book, Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days offers simple but powerful instruction on how and what to pray and what to expect when you do. And it's our way to say thank you when you give a gift of $25 or more today to help keep this ministry on the air.

Give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. Okay, let's dive into today's teaching. We'll be in Exodus chapter 32 as Skip Heitzing begins the study. I'm going to begin with an illustration about two babies in their mother's womb having a philosophical conversation. One asked the other, do you believe in life after delivery? The other replied, why of course there has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what will be later. Nonsense, said the first, there is no life after delivery.

What kind of life would that be? The second said, I don't know, but there will be more light than in here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can't understand now. The first replied, that's absurd.

Walking is impossible and eating with our mouths, ridiculous. The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need, but the umbilical cord is so short life after delivery is to be logically excluded. The second insisted, well I think there is something and maybe it's different than it is here.

Maybe we won't need this physical cord anymore. The first replied, nonsense and moreover if there is life then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life and in the after delivery there's nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion.

It takes us nowhere. Well I don't know, said the second, but certainly we will meet mother and she will take care of us. The first replied, mother? You actually believe in mother?

That's laughable. If mother exists then where is she now? Second said, she's all around us. We're surrounded by her. We are of her. It is in her that we live.

Without her this world would not and could not exist. Said the first, well I don't see her so it's only logical she doesn't exist. To which the second replied, sometimes when you're in silence and you focus and really listen, you really listen, you can perceive her presence and you can hear her loving voice calling down from above. Now here you have two babies in this little story that have had very little life experience obviously and from their perspective, especially for one, the very thought of there being more was difficult to fathom. Likewise for many people the idea of God, let alone relating to God, is hard to imagine. We're in a series we call 2020, Seeing Truth Clearly, and we begin with the doctrine of God. The first study we talked about truth. Last week we talked about God as our Father, and this week we camp in Exodus chapter 32, 33, and 34. Next time we're together we're going to look at a particular passage in chapter 34, but it is a seminal passage on relating to God, on knowing God, because these chapters show the basic problem we have and the basic desire that we have.

The basic problem is how can a mortal relate to somebody who is immortal and transcendent and invisible, but it shows the desire that all people have to somehow relate to one who is immortal, transcendent, and invisible. And the proof of that is the number of the number of religions that exist today. You know, I asked a few people this week, how many religions do you think are out there? And one said, oh, I don't know, a couple hundred. My assistant said, I'm going to guess 500 religions.

There's 4,200 religions, last count. That just sort of shows you that people everywhere around the world at different seasons are longing to somehow relate to God. Now, what I'm going to show you in these three chapters in select verses, and I'm presupposing that you know the story generally, I'll be filling in some of the historical gaps, but I want to show you five distinct stages in a relationship with God. Now, these are stages in a relationship with God. This isn't true of all relationships, but any relationship with God is going to be unique because God is unique. Make sense? So God is omniscient, He is omnipotent, He is omnipresent, and He is perfect.

Who can relate to that? So you see the difficulty. So we begin stage number one is rebellion. Now, you'll follow me as I explain it, but look at one verse in Exodus 32, the beginning verse. Now, when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, he's at Mount Sinai with them, the people gathered together to Aaron and said to him, come make us gods that shall go before us.

As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. I call this chapter the uh-oh chapter because everything's good up to this point, and then all of a sudden, uh-oh, they reach a low point. They turn into this crazy pagan party bunch that goes absolutely wild. And here's the reason. Moses has been up on Mount Sinai for 40 days, hearing from God, bringing the law of God, and he takes longer than they expected. And so the people get nervous, and they say to Aaron, make us an idol. And a golden calf is produced. Now, why a calf? Why a calf? Here's my answer.

Conditioned response. They had been in Egypt for generations. And in Egypt, one of the principal gods that was worshiped was a calf, a bull by the name of Apis, A-P-I-S, Apis, the bull. He was a symbol of power. He was called the renewer of life.

Now listen to the legend. The belief was that a flash of light descended from heaven on a cow and produced Apis the bull. So there at Mount Sinai, they look up where Moses is at, and it says in the 19th chapter of Exodus that flashes of lightning are the light of the that flashes of lightning were striking the mountain, light from heaven. So that immediately made them think of this Egyptian symbol of power and virility, Apis the bull. But in casting this golden calf, they immediately broke the second commandment, right? Second commandment, you will make no graven or carved images of anything in heaven above or on earth below. So they did, and they broke the second commandment. And as we look at it, we wonder, why did they do this?

What's the big deal for them making something that they can see? This is where the problem comes in and relating to God. People have always had problems with an invisible God. When you tell people about God, they go, well, I've never seen God.

He's never spoken to me. I can't touch God like our little opening illustration. You see, it's hard to have a personal relationship.

That's the language we use, right? If you have a personal relationship with God, it's hard to have a personal relationship with the person you never see or ever hear or can ever touch. How can you relate to that kind of a being? It's sort of like the famous story H.G. Wells wrote, The Invisible Man, how a guy came up with a way through science to become invisible, which sounds really fun and cool and novel at first. But as the story goes on, nobody trusts somebody they can't see. So he gets into trouble because of it. I remember even as a little boy, when my parents would tell me about God, I'd look up at the clouds and just wish he'd poke his head through every now and then so I could see him.

If you just go, hi, still here. Maybe you can relate to Isaiah chapter 45, which says, truly you are a God who hides himself. And this is why there is a longing for the return of Christ, as Paul wrote to Titus in chapter 2 of that book, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So they make something they can see, something visible, something tangible. I said they broke the second commandment. I want to pose a question because I don't want to leave this alone. Why is this so bad? Why is it so bad to God that on God's top 10 list of things not to do, number two is don't you dare make a carved image of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath. Don't make any graven image to represent me. Why is God not wanting to be represented by an image?

Here's the answer. There isn't an image that can represent God. You see, God is unlimited, and as soon as you make some kind of an image, you have limited God.

You've portrayed him in a certain limited way. That bowl might represent power, that calf might represent power, but it does not represent a God who is loving and wanting to forgive and compassionate and patient and kind and just. And so Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 40 18 said to whom then will you liken God or what likeness will you compare to him?

There is none. There is no suitable image that can represent him. Number two, when you make an image of God, essentially you're making God into your image. You're saying here's an attribute of God I choose to focus on neglecting all of the other attributes that he reveals about himself. In that limiting of God, you are crafting a God that you can relate to.

You make him in your image. There are other reasons we don't have enough time to get into, but go down with me all the way down to verse 25. In this rebellion, look how bad it gets, when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained, what a word, for Aaron had not restrained them to their shame among their enemies. They're unrestrained. There's no outward control of law. There's no inward control of conscience. So they just do whatever they want when they want to.

They make it up as they go along. Now you might be wondering, Skip, why are you saying rebellion is the first step in relating to God? Well, it's because it's the starting point we all know.

It's our default mode. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That is the condition of all humanity. So maybe I would be better off if I said rather than rebellion, at least realizing your rebellion is the first step in a relationship with God.

When you realize this is who I am and I need help. So remember in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins with a list of beatitudes, first beatitude, first step in relating to God. He said, blessed are the poor in spirit. They will see God. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

What does that mean? It means you recognize your condition. I am poverty-stricken before God. I have nothing to offer. I'm in this sinful condition, irreparable condition. I am bankrupt before Almighty God.

I realize that. That's the first step. Followed by a second step and that is a step of repentance. Now I take you back to our text in Exodus 32. Go down to verse 31 where it says, Moses returned to the Lord and said, oh, these people have committed a great sin and have made for themselves a god of gold. Yet now, if you will forgive their sin, that's his request. But if not, I pray, blot me out of your book which you have written.

Now go to chapter 33, verse 4. When the people heard this bad news, they mourned. Notice that word mourned and no one put on his ornaments. That is jewelry. They didn't bedeck themselves with jewels. For the Lord had said to Moses, say to the children of Israel, you are a stiff-necked people.

I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore take off your ornaments that I may know what to do to you. So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb. What you have here is a public display of remorse, a public display of contrition or penitence. Moses comes down from the mountain and sort of acts as their conscience and sees what they're doing and building this cap and partying and being unrestrained and basically says, what are you doing?

What on earth were you thinking? And they realize how bad this looks. And eventually they come to a place where they mourn over it, like it says here. And they strip off their jewelry.

That's an outward expression of an inward impression. It's what later on is seen as donning sackcloth and ashes. Now, back to that Sermon on the Mount that I just mentioned. Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit. That's step one. I realize my sinful condition. Then he said, blessed are those who mourn.

That's the second step. I realize my poverty of spirit and because of that poverty of spirit, I mourn. I grieve over it. And those are two parts of repentance. Two parts of repentance. Second Corinthians chapter seven. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation. You see, there is a sorrow that is good if it moves you to pivot in your condition of sinfulness and say, God, I mourn over that and I need you.

I need help. My wife, Lenya, when she came to Christ, she was not raised in a religious home at all. She was raised as an atheist. She didn't believe God existed. She didn't believe that God was around. And she had friends telling her about Jesus and her father came to know Jesus. And so he told her that she needed to. So anyway, she's listening and thinking and talking to friends.

One friend gives her a tract called the four spiritual laws, a great tract. She read it, misunderstood it because she saw the pictures. You know, one picture shows you sitting on the throne of your life and things aren't working out.

Everything is bad in life. And then you put Jesus at the center of the throne of your life and everything just sort of falls into place and works out. So she goes, okay, I get it. I asked Jesus to come into my life and everything is fine. And then she goes, come into my life and everything I want, I'll get. Everything will fall into place and be perfect.

I'll get what I want. So she prayed to ask Jesus to come in and sit on the throne of her life. She was going to church and week after week, she just didn't feel right. She just didn't feel right. Like something was wrong. I'm missing something.

What am I not getting here? And so she walked forward after a service, talked to one of the pastors at this church. I know this guy, his name is Malcolm.

He's from England, English pastor, still in the ministry. And she told him her story. You know, I got this track.

This is what I did. And so Malcolm said, can I ask you a question? Have you repented of your sins?

Of course he was from England. So it was, have you repented of your sins? And she said, have I re what? I don't even know what that word means, repent. So he described the biblical definition of metanoia, repentance, what it means to turn from and turn to, not just turn to, but turn from a life of sin and turn to Christ.

She said, I have never done that. So he said, well, today is going to be the day you do. And she, after explaining that, led her in that prayer of faith, repentance from dead works, from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. So the first step is rebellion followed by a second one, which is repentance. Now repentance happens to be, if you know your New Testament, one of the key themes in that part of the Bible.

Although what's odd is that it's just not very popular in many pulpits today, as it is in the New Testament. It's a very confronting message to tell people repent. But the first words out of John the Baptist's mouth were repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Among the first words of the Lord Jesus Christ were repent and believe the gospel. So it might be unpopular in pulpits, but it is not unpopular in the New Testament.

It is foundational and it's essential. Jesus told a story about two men going to the temple to pray. This is in Luke chapter 18. He said, two men went to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, religious dude, raised in religion, new scripture, and a tax collector, bad guy, scum of the earth. And he said, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, Lord, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like that tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. That was his prayer.

Now he sounds pretty good on the surface, sounds very spiritual, comes with a negative list and a positive list. I don't do this. I don't do that.

I don't do the other thing, but I do these things. And then Jesus continued and said, but the tax collector, scum of the earth guy, he wouldn't even raise his head toward heaven, but he beat on his breast and he said, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Jesus said, that man went home justified.

Wait a minute. Why not that guy? That guy is the good guy doing all the good things, staying away from all the bad things.

This guy won't even look up and say, I'm bad guy, be merciful. Jesus said he went home justified because he admitted his need to be a sinner. Because he admitted his need and decided to turn from it.

So the second stage is repentance. He was poor in spirit. This man was not poor in spirit. Therefore he did not mourn.

Therefore he was not justified. Brings us to the third stage in a relationship with God. And that is request. Request.

Let me show you what I mean. In Exodus 33 verse 13, Moses, now talking to God. Now, therefore, I pray if I have found grace in your sight, please show me your way, that I may know you, that I may find grace in your sight. Beautiful prayer. And consider that this nation is your people. I want to grow with you.

I want to learn your ways. I want to do what's right. And I'm praying for them as well. And he, God said, my presence will go with you. The language is, I'll go with you individually.

I will give you rest. And then he said to him, if your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. You see, because if your presence isn't with us and we're going to be like every other nation in the world, so why go any further? For how then will it be known that your people and I have found grace in your sight, except you go with us? So we shall be separate, your people and I, from all the people who are on the face of the earth. So the Lord said to Moses, I will also do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name. Now look at this last request. Verse 18, and he said, please, this is Moses prayer, please show me your glory.

That's Skip Hyten with a message from the series 2020. Now, here's Skip to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way as you help connect others to the Lord. God has revealed who he is in his word, the Bible. That's why studying your Bible is so important.

And it's why we share these teachings that you have come to love, to connect you and others with our Heavenly Father. But there are costs to keeping these messages coming to you, which is why your generous support is so critical. Here's how you can give a gift today. You can give online at connectwithskip.com slash donate. That's connectwithskip.com slash donate. Or call 800-922-1888.

800-922-1888. Thank you. Tomorrow, Skip Hyten talks about how God revealed himself to Moses and how he reveals himself to you even today. You see, all of the greatest spiritual experiences you may have had up to this point, all the great retreats you've been on, all the great worship conferences you have attended were never meant to satisfy you. They were meant to create a deeper thirst to whet your appetite for the full and final encounter. Connect with Skip Hyten is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.