God Speaks | Sunday, November 22, 2020

Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man, yet he still lives. Now therefore, why should we die?... If we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die. (Deuteronomy 5)

When God breaks His silence and speaks to man, it unsettles ancient Israel, modern believers, and skeptics alike—yet it is also our greatest comfort.

God Speaks With Man

I want you to pause and consider these words: we have seen this day that God speaks with man. What is fascinating to me is that this idea stopped the people of Israel 3,400 years ago—but not for the same reason it stops me. It stopped Israel because they understood something of the power, glory, and holiness of God, such that they expected the outcome of almighty God speaking to them would be their own death.

Last year HBO released a historical drama about the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in 1986. I was only six when it happened, so I have little memory of it, but I've watched a number of gut-wrenching clips. When the reactor core was exposed, it released devastating levels of radiation. Many who were exposed died of acute radiation syndrome shortly after; in the months and years that followed, countless others died from its effects. The radiation didn't kill them on the spot, but the effects did.

The people of Israel were afraid in a similar fashion. They feared that after coming into contact with the living and holy God, the same sort of thing would happen to them. So in fear and reverence they said, "If we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, we will die." The idea that God speaks with man caused Israel to stop in their tracks.

Why This Idea Unsettles Believers Today

These same words caused me to pause, but for a different reason. The idea that God speaks with man makes both believers and unbelievers in the 21st century uncomfortable. If you're a believer, this makes you uncomfortable for at least two reasons.

First, if you affirm that this is true, people who don't believe in God like you do are going to think you're crazy. I'm not wrong. In our current cultural moment, you are made to feel stupid if you publicly avow that God is and that God speaks. It's just like the way Christians are made to feel foolish for sharing their faith—the way newly elected congressman Madison Cawthorn in North Carolina's 11th District was treated like a fool simply for admitting he had tried to share the gospel.

Second, this idea makes Christians uncomfortable because you want it to be true. I want it to be true that God is and that He speaks to us, but you may not be sure He has ever spoken to you. Even though I have been a Christian most of my life and have served in ministry all of my adult life, I have always been a little bothered when I hear Christians say, "The Lord told me" or "The Lord spoke to me." Many times I've asked them, "How did God speak to you? How do you know it was the Lord?" A lot of shenanigans and trouble has followed people who say "The Lord told me." It might be the Christian equivalent of "hold my beer." But I digress.

As a pastor for more than 20 years, I don't know that I have ever heard God's audible voice. That is not to say God does not speak—He does, exactly as this text in Deuteronomy 5 declares. God has spoken, and He has spoken to me through the Scriptures, even if I've never heard His audible voice. So this idea unsettles believers because it weirds out your unbelieving friends, and because you're not always sure God has spoken specifically to you.

Why This Idea Unsettles Skeptics

These words also make unbelievers uncomfortable. The obvious reason is that the skeptic thinks, "I like this person I work with. He's a nice guy. But he doesn't actually believe there's a God who speaks—does he? I don't want him to believe this, because I don't want to quietly think he's crazy, or have the awkward conversation where I tell him I think belief in God is crazy."

But there's a less obvious reason. If you're an honest, unbelieving skeptic, this makes you uncomfortable because deep down—in places you don't talk about at parties—there is a part of you that is actually concerned it could be true that there is a God and that He speaks. For the skeptic, that is terrifying.

How do I know this is true of you? Because the Scriptures say that unbelievers do not like to retain God in their knowledge. You don't like that God is stuck in your mind, but the thought of God doesn't just go away. That's why every unbeliever has to replace the thought of God with some other superordinate idea—which is always insufficient as an answer to the deeper questions of life: questions of identity, purpose, origin, destiny, and morality. If you'd like further teaching on these questions, I recommend a series I did called Identity, available at thelifeinconnection.com/identity.

He Is There and He Is Not Silent

As uncomfortable as this may be, it should also be a great comfort to us that God speaks with man. As the late Christian philosopher and apologist Francis Schaeffer wrote decades ago, He is there and He is not silent. This is the philosophical base of the Christian worldview. At the most basic level, this is what you discover when you open the page of Scripture: God is. He has made Himself known. Therefore God is knowable. He desires to be known by us, which means He desires a relationship with us.

Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this is one of the opening propositions of the Christian faith: God is there, He is not silent, and He desires a relationship with you. But, of course, there is a problem—and you knew that was coming. Something stands in the way between God and man, something that hinders our relationship with a holy and righteous God. It is the very thing that made Israel fearful when God spoke 3,400 years ago.

Our Sin Hinders the Relationship

What stands between us and God? Our sin. This whole section of Deuteronomy, dealing with the statutes and judgments of God, is all about how the holy and righteous God would deal with the hindering power of sin. God recognized the gulf between us and Him. The problem is that we often don't recognize the chasm of sin that separates us, nor do we have the self-awareness to see that the chasm is one of our own making, the result of our disobedience and rebellion.

The law—those statutes and judgments we've been studying—was not established to make it possible for us to become holy. You shall have no other gods, you shall not bow to idols, you shall not take God's name in vain, honor the Sabbath, honor your father and mother, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, do not covet. These are given not to make us holy, but to show us that we are unholy and cannot reach God by our own efforts. They reveal our sinfulness. In Romans 3, 4, and 7, this is clearly outlined: it is by the law that we have the knowledge of sin.

The Law Prepares the Way for the Savior

It is not only true that God is there and not silent, and that our sin hinders the relationship He desires—it is also true that from the beginning, God determined to deal with the sin that brought separation and death. Deuteronomy and the rest of the Old Testament are the setup for the whole story of the gospel. God's determined plan to deal with sin is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross 2,000 years ago.

But to make that a reality, Israel—the people to whom Moses spoke these words—had to come into the promised land and remain there. So Moses spoke to them as they stood on the border of the land, teaching them this law to prepare them to enter it. He said, "So that you may live and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess" (Deuteronomy 5:32).

In effect, God says, "Israel, keep these commandments so that you are positioned to prepare the way, so that you remain in the land, so that you may be the people through whom the blessing of the Messiah may come to all nations." These statutes were preparatory for the coming of the Messiah. The law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. The law will not save you, but it prepares the way for the Savior.

God had spoken to Abraham, saying, "Follow me, and I will give this land to you and your descendants, so that through you all the nations will be blessed by the coming of the Messiah." After bringing Israel out of bondage in Egypt, God was now bringing them into the land to set them up as the people through whom the Messiah would come. This law ordered their lives as a nation so the Messiah could come. It was never given to save them from sin—and it will never save us either. But the law brings us to the place where we recognize our need for the Savior, Jesus Christ, so that we call out to receive His salvation. That's why I keep encouraging you to get to know the Scriptures and become well acquainted with these commandments.

A Word for This Season

As we close, I want to share a public service announcement, the way I see things on November 22, 2020. 2020 is not over, and its chaos is not done. I miss seeing all of you on Sunday mornings and preaching as we gather as a family. We have been gathering on Sunday evenings at 5 p.m., and it's been a real blessing. But many of you have not and probably will not join us, and I understand—some are fearful and hesitant about gathering, and I can't fault you.

I am not one who thinks coronavirus is a sham. My wife works in the critical care unit of a local hospital and has spent a lot of time over the last eight months with people dying of COVID-19. They die alone, except for the nurses standing by their side. This is real, even if it's not as deadly as we first feared—and we should thank God it's not. You may not fully agree with the way our government has responded. I find myself very conflicted; in some respects I believe the authorities have gone too far. Within reason, our leadership has done our best to follow the guidelines, but we will still gather on Sunday evenings, and I will still encourage you to gather in small groups.

Living Life in Connection

In my communication with people in our church, I find that those doing best right now are connected to a Connect Group. This is why we began Connect Groups more than seven years ago—for such a time as this. We didn't know we'd be in the midst of coronavirus, but we recognized that the church has always existed both as a corporate gathering and, as Acts 2:42–47 describes, from house to house in fellowship—koinonia, communion with one another.

The church has lived as a body of believers in fellowship since A.D. 32, and will continue to do so until Jesus returns—which sometimes feels like it could be at any moment. You need to be part of a small group, even if it's just with one or two other couples. This is the new reality, and things are not going back to the way they were. Even when we gather again on Sunday mornings, Connect Groups will always be central to who we are at Cross Connection Church, because we are all about living life in connection with God, with one another, and with the world through Jesus.

So please go to athome.lifeinconnection.com and consider hosting or joining a small group. This is essential. I also encourage you to check out the daily recordings—shorter teachings delivered through YouTube or as a podcast at coffeetime.pastormiles.com. I've heard they've been an encouragement, and I hope they'll bless you too.

Closing Prayer

Father God, as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, help us to pause this week and think about all the things we can and should be grateful for. Lord, I am grateful for our church, for this body of believers You have put together, and for the encouragement they are to me, my wife, my kids, and my extended family. I pray that You would draw us together even more as we come into this holiday season. Remind us how good and pleasant it is for the body of Christ to dwell together in unity. Unify us as Your people, help us rejoice, and make us a city set on a hill, a light shining in a dark place. I believe the church can be that more than at any time in my lifetime. So use us to shine brightly to our community and to reach people with the good news of the gospel, the hope we have in You. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.