If you wish to follow along,
turn to Exodus chapter 32. Exodus chapter 32. I will read
one verse. And this verse has found my subject
and my title. And then we will read through
the verses as we go along. Verse 26 of Exodus 32. This is kind of the central theme
of what we call this chapter, chapter 32. Verse 26 reads this
way. Then Moses stood in the gate
of the camp and said, here it is, who is on the Lord's side? Who is on the Lord's side? That's a very pertinent question,
isn't it? But Moses required more than
verbal assent. You see it? Moses required more. The circumstances required far
more than mere verbal assent. Well, I'm on the Lord's side.
That's all well and great. That's all well and great. Then
Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, who is on the
Lord's side? Let him come unto me. You see
that? I want you to think about that. Let him come unto me. And all
the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. I want to try and examine, I
say six points, it's really more Examine six statements that I'm
going to make concerning this chapter that is exodus chapter
32 Number one we'll get right to it number one how impatient
is our flesh How impatient is our flesh? Verse 1. And when
the people saw that Moses delayed to come down, remember he was
there 40 days and 40 nights. That's a good spot of time. And
there are these thunderings and lightnings and no one can approach
them out. No one can go find out. Where's
Moses really at? You see it? The human mind says, well, this
is a reasonable thing. What we're gonna read about here
in verse one. It is not reasonable when it appertains to God Almighty.
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the
mount, the people gathered themselves together under Aaron and said
unto him, up, make us gods, which shall go before us. For as for
this Moses, The man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt.
Think about it. We want not what is become of
him. Do not be as I used to be years
ago. Do not think as I used to think
years ago that impatience is merely trying to get ahead of
God. You ever thought that way? Well, impatience is just trying
to get ahead of God. It is much worse than that. Impatience
is unbelief in its festering form. You hear what I said? Impatience is unbelief in its
festering form. All throughout this we find murmuring
and murmuring and murmuring. But they never sought other gods. See it? They murmured over water,
but they were thirsty. But don't ever murmur when it
comes to God Almighty. He just delivered you from Egypt. And you're worried about a glass
of water? He let you walk dry shod through the Red Sea. And you're worried about a glass
of water? He fed you for 400 years as slaves,
and you leave out fat? Happy you've just had a full
meal on roasted lamb and bitter herbs and wine And unleavened
bread And you go out with shoes on your feet having spoiled the
Egyptians And you murmur and complain and now it's nothing
more than impatience, but look where impatience leads Again,
I say it. Impatience is not just trying
to get ahead of God. Impatience is unbelief festering. Now someone may say, preacher,
you say nothing good about man. I have not even scratched the
surface. As to how bad we are in God's
sight in the past 34 years that I've tried to preach the gospel,
I haven't even scratched the surface yet. Impatience is now
gratification. Impatience is me now. Impatience is I, I, I, I. When unchecked. When unchecked,
patience leads to scoffing, disdain, it can even lead to idolatry. That's how serious impatience
is. I know some of us, I don't think
we're trying to make fun, so I don't pray for patience because
tribulation works with patience. You don't want impatience to
rule your life. We live in a me, I, self generation. We live in a gotta have it now
generation. And that's why most of us, when
we reach into our billfolds or our pocketbooks, they are crammed
full of plastic that we pay well over double for everything we
buy. Why? Because I got to have it now. Got to have it now. And I'm not
here to preach against credit cards. It's not my point. I'm just trying to make a point.
When unchecked, it leads to scoffing, disdain for God. For God. And it can even lead
to idolatry. Here's number two. Impatience. You say, not more preacher. Yes,
there's more here. Impatience, when left unchecked,
breeds error amidst everybody that's surrounded by the impatience. You see it? Verse two and three.
And Aaron said unto them. Now what should have Aaron said
unto them? Just wait on God. But this is Aaron Moses's mouthpiece. You see it? And Aaron said unto them, break
off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives,
of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all
the people break off the golden earrings which were in their
ears and brought them unto Aaron. I remember preaching on this
many years ago. When we were at Browns Road,
at Browns Road Sovereign Grace Church. And I preached on the
radio from this subject, and one of the only letters I ever
got was, where is that in the Bible? Where is that really in
the Bible, that men wore earrings? No, I'm serious. That is sad. We're dealing here with a very
serious subject, and the only thing that poor woman could think
about was, what was that passage where you read that men wore
earrings? God help us. And I used to be brought up in
that kind of religion. You thought you were something
when you knew the shortest verse of the Bible. Well, that's not
much to it. It's Jesus' whip. It's two words.
It's not hard to remember, is it? It's no great spiritual attainment. And it's no great spiritual enlightenment
to find out that men wore earrings. Lord, help us. When unchecked,
The whole point here is impatience breeds error amongst everybody
that's subjected to it. Paul put it this way, and you
can read the words in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 33, and there the
main subject is the resurrection of the dead. And how important
the doctrine, yea even more, it is the doctrine. But the truth
of the resurrection of the dead, how important it is. It's important
because if it's not true, we're liars. Because we're preaching
Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. And if there is no
resurrection of the dead, we're still in our sins. But he used
this phrase. But it applies to much more than
just one doctrine. I'll put it this way, evil communications,
he doesn't mean what you say here, although that certainly
would be included. It means evil associations. Evil
communications or evil associations corrupt good manners. Don't ever think I'm knowledgeable
enough to withstand the error. Because first of all, knowledge
does first what? It puffs up. And if you puffed
up, you've already got a problem at the get-go. Evil communications,
evil associations corrupt good manners. Who you deal with, who
you associate with, will without fail affect your spiritual life. It just will. Because this is
God's ordained order. God said you associate with the
wrong people, the wrong places, the wrong things, it's going
to affect you. Joe, some it will damn forever.
Some it will make a miserable in this life. Spiritually speaking. may well be the mother of apostate
religion. Verse four, and he received them
at their hand. What, all of these golden earrings?
And isn't it kind of, he didn't ask for golden bracelets, golden
necklaces. Why, because the problem was they weren't hearing. They weren't hearing. Now Aaron
wasn't doing this trying to point out something, but he only asked
for the earrings. And he received them at their
hand and fashioned it with a graving tool after he had made it a molten
calf. That is, it had just an outward
form. And then he took tools and carved
that thing so you could tell exactly what it was. Right? He put it in a form, in a mold.
You could kind of tell a little bit what it was. But then he
took tools and carved it out of this gold so you could tell
exactly what this thing was. And they said? Be thy gods. Blasphemy. Do you hear me? Blasphemy. These be thy gods, O Israel,
which brought thee up. What? Not even this going to
get us the rest of the way. Do you see how they're contradicting
themselves? False religion always contradicts
itself. It speaks, as we say, out both
sides of their mouth. Now there are things in God's
word that are beyond our comprehension. But everything in this book,
as we say, when it comes to the doctrine of who man is and who
God is, is in black and white. It's written here for us. It's
even translated into our own language in this country so that
we can read God's word. These be thy gods. And when Aaron
saw it, he built an altar before it. What? He built an altar before it.
And Aaron made proclamation and said, tomorrow is a feast to
the Lord. What? Do you see Aaron joining
or trying to join the worship of Jehovah with the worship of
a golden calf? Ludicrous! But that's what we
are by nature. For the sake of argument, the
best among us, if we compare ourselves amongst ourselves,
the best among us, this is where impatience leads. Mark it down. If it goes unchecked, this is
where it leads. They rose up early in the morrow
and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. The people sat
down to eat and drink and rose up to play. They had a big party.
Folks, that is what this apostate religion called Christianity
in our day does just about every day of the week, and especially
on Sundays and Wednesdays. Impatience will lead to the mixing
of the worship of idols with the worship of Christ. You know
that? Yeah. What do you mean, preacher? I mean this. There are people
today that worship man's will more than they worship God's
will. And they call it free will. Free will is a damnable heresy.
Man's will is called this in the book of God, self will. That's
what it's called. We don't deny a man's got a will.
We're just saying man's will is as corrupt as his heart. Because
the book of Deuteronomy tells us the will is motivated by a
man's heart. And God said what about our heart? It is desperately wicked. Wait
a minute. Above all things. Above all things. It will deceive you. It will
deceive you. My heart deceives me. Your heart deceives you. The problem with being deceived
is you don't know it. Or you wouldn't be deceived.
Here they are joining the worship of Jehovah with this golden calf. I'd never do that. You do that
every time you brag about yourself. You do that every time you perform
a good work. And you think God's looking down
on you, smiling about it. That's why the apostle Paul says,
in section of Corinthians chapter six, verses 11, all the way through
chapter seven and verse one, and he's speaking to profess
Christians. Come ye out from among them and
be ye separate, saith the Lord. because light cannot have fellowship
with darkness. The temple of God cannot have
fellowship with the temple of Bilal. Come out from among them. Don't think like they think,
don't believe like they believe, don't worship like they worship,
don't conduct yourself like they conduct themselves. It's not
because we're better than they are, the fact we need the command
lets us know we're just like they are. And we do the same
thing they would do, just like Aaron did. Verse 19, it came
to pass as soon as he came down to the camp, that is Moses, because
God said, get down, they've corrupted themselves. Verse 19, it came
to pass, as soon as he came down to the camp, He saw the calf
and the dancing, Moses' anger waxed hot and he cast the tables
out of his hand and break them beneath the mount. God had just
used his finger. Who is God with a finger? Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ. And Moses takes
that thing and breaks them two tablets. And he took the calf
which they had made and burned it in the fire. and ground it
to powder, and strode it upon the water, and made the children
of Israel drink of it. And Moses said unto Aaron, what
did this people unto thee that thou hast brought so great a
sin upon them? Well, Moses, Aaron, they must have twisted your arm.
They must have backed you in the corner and told you we're
going to kill you. No, they just come to make us
other gods. You see a little bit of impatience
in even Aaron? As one has said, the best of
men is but man at best. And man is a fallen creature
in Adam. And by God's grace, I'll never
have anything good to say about man when you compare man to God's
law and God himself. We can compare ourselves one
to another and some of us stand head and shoulders above another,
but we're, it's just one worm trying to puff themselves up
by looking at other worms. I'm saying I'm just a little
bit better worm than you are. Think about it. Think about it. It does not even have to be pagan
idolatry. You remember what Paul said about
to the church at Galatia? He said there were some false
brethren. Not a bunch of heathen idolaters
come in. False brethren come in, was trying
to preach up circumcision. They were not denying Jesus Christ
as the Messiah. But they were preaching up something
that you had to add to the personal work of Jesus Christ. And if
you add anything to the personal work of Jesus Christ, it is idolatrous
religion. It is the mixing of the religion
of this world with the religion of Jesus Christ. Paul puts it
this way. A little leaven, a little leaven. This is, again, God's ordained
it this way. A little leaven does what? Leavens
the whole lump. You see, error always endangers
the truth. Truth never sanctifies error. Well, at least we believe in
the fundamentals. Jesus Christ was virgin born.
The devils know that. The devils know that. They know
he's the son of God. Paul go back to Galatians 2 verses
1 through 5. He said, these false brethren,
I withstood them, no, not for an hour. In other words, I will
not put up with their idolatry, with their error, with their
heresy, with their blasphemy. Some folks think, well, You and
people like you are just too dogmatic. This is not my honor
that's in question here. This is God's honor in the person
of his son that's in question here. And he said, this is my
beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. You listen to him. You
listen to him. He said, look to Christ. Here's a third thought. God uses
warnings to accomplish his design. Verse seven, and the Lord said
unto Moses, go, get thee down for thy people. Did you see that? He didn't say, my people. Now, God willing, next Sunday,
when we get to chapter 33, we will look at this a little more
in detail, but just one verse of scripture here to whet your
interest. Paul said this, they are not
all Israel, which are of Israel. They were Moses' people, but
they weren't all God's people. God is not playing games here. God's not changing his mind here. God is now revealing to Moses
something that Moses may not have fully considered before.
Not all of these are truly Israelites. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Go, get thee down, for thy people, which thou broughtest out of
the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned
aside quickly. out of the way which I commanded
them, they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it,
and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, these be thy gods,
O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Right after, this couldn't have taken more than a few hours. They all brought gold and earrings,
Aaron melted it down, fixed the form, put it in that form, and
then started carving it out, said, here it is. They just said
Moses delivered us out of the land. Now they're making a god
to worship, saying that delivered us out of that land. It's called
the religion of total madness. It's not just inconsistency.
All of us are inconsistent in some things. We read this book,
we think we understand things, we think we got point A and point
B and point C all in a row, and as the years go by, you find
out point C actually was point A. And point B was probably Z. Maybe even point A. We find these
things out about ourselves. Why? Because we're fallen, finite
creatures. But there is one thing that's
point A. That's Jesus Christ and his personal work. That's
always point A. Always point A. Somebody said,
but what if? What if God said, look, let's
go on. And the Lord said unto Moses,
verse nine, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked
people. We'll read that several more
times as we go along in the next few chapters. A stiff-necked
people. Now therefore, let me alone,
that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume
them, and I will make of thee a great nation. And somebody
said, well, what if? If the warning is not heeded,
destruction will come. What about God's covenant? If
the warning is not heeded, destruction will come. Well, I believe there's
an election. That's all well and good. But
God chose that the elect believe through the preaching of the
gospel. having been set apart by the Spirit of God for that
belief of the gospel. And that's what he chose them
to. And if that don't take place in you, election don't earn you
or get you anything. You are not one of the elect
unless God the Spirit sets you apart to believe the truth through
the preaching of the gospel. Those things are not like just
this. They're like this. They're like this, they're not
just twin graces, they're conjoined twin graces. But, isn't it amazing, God arranged
a mediator to fill the gap. Verse 11, Moses besought the
Lord his God and said, Lord, why dost thy wrath wax hot against,
and I like what he said, thy people, because that's what really
matters. Okay? You could be a part of this group.
I could be a part of this group and we still perish in hell You got to be one of God's people
You've got to be one of God's people you might not you may
live where you can't get to this group or another group But you
better be one of God's people Why doth thy wrath wax hot against
thy people which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt
with great power and with mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians
speak and say, for mischief did he bring them out to slay them
in the mountains? But guess what? He did! Did he not? For 40 years, he
killed everybody that was over 20 years old. God did exactly
what he said he was going to do. And His covenant still stood
what? Intact. Intact. Why? Because there was in that
group, that elect nation, an actually elected people in Christ
Jesus. And folks, that's the way it's,
we've started from Genesis and worked our way through. We see
that every step of the way, do we not? Adam and Eve had two
sons, didn't they? Two sons. One was a reprobate,
one was elect. And it manifested itself in time.
Did it not? And you could follow that right
on down the line. Right on down the line. And it
becomes more pronounced and pronounced as the history of Israel moves
forward. Where God at times says, it's only a tenth. Think about
that. Of this vast nation of Israel.
In some of the days of the prophets, he was telling Isaiah, only a
tenth. A tenth. You see, Christ does this, just
as we read Moses do it, but Christ does it because he is the covenant.
Christ declares the covenant of promise before the Father.
Christ, and please forgive me for putting it this way, I wish
I had a better way, but Christ reminds the Father of the holy
covenant. by his mere presence. And is
he not in God's presence for us? Look what Moses said, remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants. Now see God, God still,
he slaughtered these people. All of these adults, every one
of them, their carcasses, is the way the book puts it, their
carcasses fell in the wilderness. Remember Abraham and Isaac and
Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self,
and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars
of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken will I give
unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever. And the Lord
repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people
right then. Now that's, I don't know, but
right then. Because again, remember. This
impatience, because they remained a stiff-necked people, never
subsided. Think about it, it takes them
two years to get from Egypt, thereabouts. Two years to get
from Egypt to Sinai, and from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea. Most
of that, there was murmuring from the get-go. This is two
years. The reason it took two years,
they say from Sinai, thereabouts, we don't know exactly where it's
at, but from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, Barnea is 11 day trip. It took them almost another year
to get there. Why? They were incorporating all of this worship
when God gave them the tabernacle and everything. And God would
move them a little bit, and they'd set up camp, and then the cloud
would hover right there. And they did not move again until
God moved in the cloud, right? But when they came to Kadesh
Barnea, then all of this murmuring and impatience festered up in
rank unbelief. Moses sent in 12 spies. Two came back and said, we can
take them. We'll have them for lunch. That's
what they said. They said, they're bread to us.
We'll have them for lunch. But Tian said, we can't do it.
and they were ready to stone Joshua and Caleb and Moses. Going to kill them. To keep from
going in and getting the land God had promised Israel. That's
religion. God said you will not enter in.
Hebrews, Old Testament and Hebrews in the New Testament use it,
God swore in his wrath, they shall not enter therein. And this wrath that God had right
here found its mark. It just didn't find its mark
right here at this time. But here was Israel's great,
this is where all this thing, all this festering and festering
and festering finally comes to a head. And Tim James put it
this way, here is unbelief at its core. They said, we can't
go in. God said, well then you'll go
die in the wilderness. They said, we can't have that. We will go in.
And they did. But they lost the battle. That's
unbelief. When God says go in, you say
we can't. When God says you can't, it's that we will. That's unbelief. If this wasn't
a change from belief, unbelief to belief, God had said you're
gonna die in the wilderness. God meant you're gonna die in
the wilderness. You see, human will gets you nothing but damnation. I'm glad I got a free will. Your
will ain't free. It's as corrupt as you are. My will is as corrupt as I am. But here, number four. Even the
most faithful men among us can be hoodwinked. Verse 15. Moses turned, went
down from the mount. Two tables of testimony were
in his hands, the tables which were written on both sides. The
one on the one side and on the other side were they written.
And the tables were the work of God. The writing was the writing
of God. Graven upon the tables. And when
Joshua heard the noise of the people, as they shouted, he said
unto Moses, there's a noise of war in the camp. Moses says,
bless God, Joshua, this ain't war. You see, even Joshua was hoodwinked
here, wasn't he? Moses is war down there. There's a battle
going on. Moses said, no, this is a big
party. This is a big party. He said, it is not the voice
of them that shout for mastery that's got the upper hand, neither
is the voice of them that cry for being overcome, that is they're
getting whipped, but the noise of them that do sing do I hear. Let me tell you something. As we
see Moses here, God's law tells us exactly what's right and exactly
what's wrong. And that's never changed. It's still wrong to fornicate.
It's still wrong to lie on your neighbor. Do you understand me? It's still wrong not to honor
your mother and father. It's still wrong not to love
God with everything you are. God's law will tell you exactly
what's right and wrong. But unless God gives you eyes
to truly see it, you won't realize the only thing I ever do is wrong.
Even if you could set the wheels present with me, but how to perform
that which is good, I find not. Because I find this inner thing
in me that when I would do good, evil's present with me. Irritating
me. Tempting me. Seeking to draw
impatience and murmuring and complaint. And that's in us too. Even as believers, oh God, just
help us to realize it. Does it not say if we confess
our sins, he's just and faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness? But the first thing before you
can confess your sins, you gotta admit they're there. You gotta
quit trying to justify them and make them something else. Quit
trying to mix them with the worship of God, thinking you're gonna
baptize your sins. They are what they are. And even
if you feel you can't escape from them, claim them as what
they are, seeing against God. Don't try to join it to the worship
of Christ. So again, I say, even the most
faithful among us can be hoodwinked. Paul told us this, let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall. Well, this wouldn't
affect me. This wouldn't affect me, y'all. That's what it affects
us. Peter said, Lord, I'll die for
you. And he meant that because he took that sword out in front
of that mob who had weapons, as we'll see in a moment. And
he was ready to defend his Lord. But that was the power of his
flesh. The power of his flesh. Romans chapter 11, Paul was talking
about Israel, national Israel, and many have been broken off.
And he said, now you Gentiles, you went, well, they were broken
off, so I might be grafted in. That's true. But because of unbelief,
they were broken off. No man perishes just because
God determined just some people die and go to hell. They go to
hell because of their sin. They go to hell because of their
rebellion. Works can't save you, but your works can certainly
damn you. And I don't know how to stay, I don't have to make
those two fit together, Mason. Your works can't save you, but
your works can certainly damn you. Flee to Christ. Flee to Christ. In Galatians
chapter six, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual,
not spiritual as opposed to carnal. There were men in Galatia who
were not spiritual men. They were apostate teachers.
If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore
them in the spirit of meekness, but do what? Consider yourself. Lest thou also be tempted. Don't
think, I can handle this. No, you'll be right in the middle
of it. Unless God Almighty restrains you. Unless He restrains you. Number five. There comes a time
that we must take sides. Yes or no? There comes a time
that you must take sides. Verse 25. And when Moses saw
the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked unto their
shame among their enemies, then Moses stood in the gate of the
camp and said, which one of you didn't commit this sin? Is that
what he said? Even his brother was caught up
in the middle of it. Right? No, he said, who's on the Lord's
side? Come over here to me. Isn't that
what he said? Are you on Christ's side? Then
flee to Christ. Take a stand. Take a stand. Well, I just don't want to say
anything. Take a stand. Well, I'm just going to keep
quiet. Take a stand for Jesus Christ. Well, I don't want to
get in turmoil. Take a stand for Jesus Christ. I don't want to cause trouble.
You're already in enough trouble. Take a stand with Jesus Christ. It comes to taking sides, and
it comes to taking sides with God, one against myself. Today,
if you hear his voice, I don't care who you are, he's writing
to believers in the Hebrew epistle. Today, if you will hear his voice,
don't you harden your hearts like those Jews did back yonder.
because you'll suffer the same fate they did. Christ said, if
you deny me before men, it's what he said. If you deny
me before men, I will deny you before my father. But if you confess me, in your
own little secret way, at home, or by yourself, anybody say it,
if you'll confess me before men. I tell you what, you say you
believe Christ, you better go in the water. That's the first
place after faith. It's the first step you take.
You go in the water and you say, I'm committed. I'm going on to
Christ's side. I'm taking a stand publicly. Baptism is the answer of a good
conscience. Now, if you don't got one, you won't do it. But
if you got one that is a good conscience, you'll seek to do
it. It is that clear. You see, baptism ain't gonna
save you. But God says be baptized. And if you tell God, that's the
one thing I ain't gonna do is be baptized, you'll go to hell
for it. Now, do you hear what I just said? You hear what I
said? You don't tell God what you will
or will not do. I don't tell God what I will
or will not do. One preacher said, one man told
him one time, said, I've walked the aisles and walked the aisles
and walked the aisles, and I'll never walk another aisle in my
life, preacher. He said, well, you'll go to hell
then. Because you don't have to walk an aisle to be saved.
That's what the preacher said. You don't have to walk an aisle to
be saved, but you don't tell God what you won't do. Exactly. You know what walking the aisle
is, really? It's a public confession of Christ. If you do it, believe
in Christ. That's what it's about. It's
about saying to the people of God, I joined up with you. I'm
moving over to your side. Everybody was on the other side
to start with. Yes, sir. That's right. Say that. that
nobody was with Moses but one, that's Joshua. And Joshua had
already been, you know, hoodwinked on this deal. I can just imagine
what it was like when Joshua would come down and see all these,
he thought it was a war and he could see all these naked people dancing
around and partying. And a golden calf. He thinks, phew, boy I
missed that one. You ever miss one like that? You're gonna take sides with
God against yourself, and you're gonna take sides with God against
everything else. Matthew 10, 32 through 39, Christ
teaches us this principle. Nothing will compete with me.
Your mommy and daddy will not compete with me. If you love
your mommy and daddy more than you love me, you ain't fit for
Christ. That is, God ain't worked on
you yet. He said, you're not worthy. That's why he said not
worthy. Well, who is worthy? Those that
God Almighty has worked a work of regeneration in their heart.
They got a good heart and the good seed falls on the good heart
and then it does what? It takes sides with Christ against
themself and everything else in this world. You see, Jesus
Christ will be loved supremely or he's not loved at all. He's not loved at all. Number
six. We see in verses 30 through 35, I'm not even gonna read it,
but other than mention one thing. Chapter 32, verses 30 through
35, we see one who will then stand in the gap for a people. And I like this one verse, verse
32. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin. And notice how they
put the punctuation. In other words, there's really
no explaining what Moses was trying to get. Because Moses
knew they needed forgiveness of sin. You understand that? That punctuation don't even exist
in the Hebrew. And I think they put it in there
just trying to let us know, this is a marvelous thing. Look what he
said. Now, if thou wilt not forgive their sin, if, no, and now, if
thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, blot me out. In other words, take me. instead
of them. Isn't that what he's saying?
Punish me and not them. Moses had done nothing wrong.
Now according to Hebrews, we know Moses could not do and God
was not going to do what Moses asked him to do here. Go back
and read it. Hebrews chapter three, you'll
see it. Moses was a faithful servant, but Moses was just Moses. But there is one who stood in
the gap. There is one who stood in the gap. Now think about it. There's a
couple other things I was going to say, but I want you to turn
to John chapter 18. John chapter 18. I kind of hopefully
whetted your appetite for that thing. Look at it. Verse 3 of
John chapter 18. Judas then, having received a
band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees,
came thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. You see
that? Jesus therefore, knowing all
things that should come upon him, went forth. He didn't sit
back and even wait for them to get to him. He seen them coming,
he knew exactly what was going on. That's the whole reason he
came into this world. And he went forth and said unto
them, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus said unto them, I am. And that's what he really said,
not I am he. He said, I am. And Judas also,
which betrayed him, stood with them, and as soon as he had said
unto them, I am, they went backward and fell to the ground. He could
have put a stop to this right then and there. But yet he couldn't. And Mason,
I don't have to explain that. He could have put a stop to it.
He said, I could call down legions of angels. That's exactly right.
That's what he hung on the cross, wasn't it? But yet at the same
time, he couldn't, Joe. Exactly. Because he and the Father
had made a covenant that he'd go through this. I mean, look
at this glorious thing. And they asked him. I could see
them all. I mean, they fell down backwards. And I'm sure their
little day, they didn't know what hit them, Mason. Exactly.
They didn't know what hit them. Then ask he them again. You see
it? Who do you seek? Who are you
after? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Now look at this next verse.
Jesus answered, I have told you that I am. If therefore ye seek
me, let these. Who's he talking about? The 11. You let these go their
way. What was he saying? He got two
options. You can have me or them, but
you can't have both. You see that? Do you understand
what I'm getting at here? Jesus said you can have me or
them, but bless God, you can't have both. If you take me, you're
gonna let these people, now he doesn't, this wasn't a question,
he didn't ask him a question, he's telling him what's going
to be. God Almighty's holy law and holy
justice took Jesus Christ. It took him in hand. Punished him as a sinner under
the wrath and judgment of God Almighty. And God Almighty says
in the person of his son, you can have me, but you can't have
those for whom I died. You take me, these gonna go free. Now, which side you gonna stand
on? Make a choice. I don't have no
problem saying that. Make a choice. Who's on the Lord's
side? Go stand with Christ or stay
where you're at. Is that not where it boils down
to? Flee to Christ's side, stand with Him, or stand where you
were. It will be one or the other.
There is no in between. There is no in between. Let's
stand and sing number 332. I don't know if you'd play that
one for us.