March 11, 2008
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Seeing God’s Glory
Sun, 9 March 2008This message given on March 9th 2008 at LifePoint Christian Church by Associate Pastor, Jan Puterbaugh
For more information about LifePoint Christian Church visit www.lifepointchurch.comDirect download: 20080309.mp3I preached this last Sunday and it was quiet a God thing. I was asked at 8PM on Saturday night to preach due to an illness in the band, I chose to preach a sermon that was appropriately on the subject of Intercessory Prayer (Praying for others), and quickly discovered that I first preached that sermon exactly 2 years to the week earlier (12 march 2006). Not only that, the third and my main illustration in this sermon was about a drug addicted friend that I had been praying for that had moved out of state (I have not seen him in over two years!) and minutes after the service started I turned around….and he was standing there in front of me. He said my face got as white as a ghost and all I can remember is that I could not speak. To make a long story short, I regained my composure and (well…somewhat) , preached the sermon. Upon telling his story……. I shared with the congregation that we had had the unique opportunity to see God in action, to see God’s Glory in a way that is not often seen…as I could not have orchestrated this series of events in a better way. I have been receiving phone calls and emails ever since concerning that message. It’s interesting, but I am so reminded of a story in the Bible from Exodus where Moses see’s God’s glory. I feel like we have just been afforded the opportunity to see God’s Glory…and it will stay with me forever.
Exodus 33:17-23
17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
The point is, very often as we are in relationship with the living God and as we trust in Him every day in every thing in our life……when it is all said and done, we can look back and see the Glory of God in a real way, we can see that He was there working in our situations and guiding us….of course, the key element is that we must trust in God for all things as well as look to see His presence in our lives….it is better to live in God’s will rather than our own. Look to God to guide you, have patience and seek His presence….and you will see His glory!
Comments (4)
Jan, last year I was at three different Intercessory Prayer events. The first two were local in August and September (called The Stirring) and the last was the third weekend of October. In praying for others , I saw things in my own life seem to come apart at the seams after both the second and third event (false accusations ). While it was unsettling that it happened (and no one paid credence to it and told me to forget it) I was growing closer to the Lord through these concentrated times of prayer for others.
I still can not believe where He lead me to, I would have never gone there . While I am not serving in any position at the new church , it is certainly clear why the Lord directed us there. I trust I didnt consolidate this so much it doesnt make sense, but I can look to those times and truly say, something happened in those times that changed me.
How awesome.
Heather
Thank you for both your comments
I believe that praying for others is as much about our heart as it is for lifting up someone else. I agree, we grow closer to God in prayer in so many ways. Of course, there are those that would not want us to grow closer to God and who do not want to see us praying for others (certainly so in the Spiritual realm). In the end though, as followers of Christ…we become stronger and they lose 
God bless you both and thank you for your comments
Man, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Jan? Wonderful to see God’s connections in answers to your prayers, isn’t it?
As much as I long to see the fulness of God’s glory, I’m glad that He reveals Himself to me in a way/ways that I am able to withstand/understand.
blessings, brother
jim