In our modern society, we employ a variety of venues for effective yet impersonal communication. We frequently utilize mail service, the internet, and/or an automated phone system to accomplish numerous tasks. Even when we attend our favorite sporting event, we remain a part of the general assembly and our intimate knowledge of the players is extremely limited. Impersonal activities like these and others are all right, but when we are pursuing God in an intimate, personal relationship, “Meeting God Face to Face” is required. Dr. Evans unfolds this truth for us today in his third sermon from his new series “Knowing God.” Following are three practical principles that must be applied for “Meeting God Face to Face.”
We must be willing to meet with God personally. Due to the disobedience of the Israelites and their lapse into idolatry and immorality, God required them to seek Him in a special place, the tent of meeting. Moses set up a special tent far from the general campsite (Exodus 33, verse 7) because of the wickedness taking place at that site. The tent was placed in a unique location where God would meet individually with those who desired to meet with Him. “Everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting,” verse 7; “Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent…,” verse 8.
Just as He did with Israel, God invites each believer to personally seek Him for an intimate relationship. We are only as close to God as we desire to be. When Moses went to the tent, everyone else stayed behind. Unfortunately, this is true today. We cannot depend on someone else’s intimate relationship with God; we must cultivate our own. The teaching we receive from pastors and teachers can never replace God’s open invitation to enter His presence individually. If we are going to know God beyond gathering information or spiritual theory, we must experience a personal, intimate relationship for ourselves.
We must be willing to speak with God as He speaks personally to each of us. “Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend…and the Lord would speak with Moses,” verse 9. The pillar of cloud represented the presence of God and His desire to dialogue with Moses. God wanted a two-way conversation--one in which He would speak specifically to the life of Moses; in turn, Moses would speak back to Him through prayer.
Of course, hearing God speak is not limited to Moses or the Old Testament. Today, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through His Word and affirms His word through His people and circumstances. The tragedy is that far too many of us do not hear God speak to our lives and circumstances through His Word. God desires to speak to each believer personally, but it begins with a personal relationship with Him.
We must understand that God desires a personal relationship with us, not a religious one. The people saw the presence of God at the tent, yet, they decided to remain at their own tent to worship, verse 10. We can have religion and still not experience the presence and power of God in our individual lives. Our relationship with God can become religious. If all we are experiencing with God are church services, serving in the church, church programs, etc…, we are missing an opportunity to hear from God in an exciting, personal relationship. This kind of relationship with God involves a deeper intimacy, one in which God speaks to us face to face, just as a friend would do, verse 11. Friends talk a great deal with one another. They are open, honest, frank, and close; nothing is hidden. God desires to have this type of close, intimate relationship with each of us.
There is nothing in this world more important or exciting than developing and cultivating an intimate, personal relationship with our heavenly Father; one in which we meet with Him face to face. Remember, this is a personal choice and experience. God desires to speak to each of us, giving us a divine perspective concerning our life circumstances. It is imperative to realize that He wants a close, intimate relationship and a face-to-face meeting with Him.
