Not Without Your Presence — Erlo Stegen

Shall we pray once again? We ask you dear Lord to presence yourself. Be in our midst. Bless the bridal couple and all Those That are here with them. Bless the reading of your holy word May touch every heart and may this hour Be well-pleasing to you.

Moses’ Plea for God’s Presence

When I asked Gert Don't even remember when whether it was yesterday. Gert, do you have a word on your heart? For this day. And he said yes, there's a word that has been on his heart for some time. And We find that word In exodus 33.

Exodus chapter 33 verse 15 to 17 I said oh Gert, I remember preaching On on this text a bit over 30 years ago. And if i'm not mistaken it was at a wedding at clerich where I Spoke on these words. Shall we turn to our text.

Exodus 33 Verses 15 to 17. Then moses said to him If your presence Does not go with us Do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me? And with your people Unless You go with us What else will distinguish me And your people From all the other people on the face of the earth.

And the lord said to moses I will do the very thing you have asked because i'm pleased with you. And I know you by name. Just a few thoughts About this word. I'm always surprised And marvel when married young people Have words on their heart concern Concerning their marriage.

Marriage Founded on God’s Word

They have marvelous words Wonderful words and if you go according to those words Then their marriage every day of their lives Should be heavenly holy Sanctified And righteous. They can't but be a foretaste of heaven.

But it is a tragedy that so many people forget the marriage text. You I suppose you remember your text The text you had chosen and if you didn't choose it The text That was used When you got married. It's good.

If the word of god lives within us May this word Be always close to you and live within you. And you jennifer as well the curse Of this time is That we so easily forget What god has told us. This word was a decision And a commitment moses made.

Israel’s Golden Calf and the Forgotten Covenant

Moses said to god God if you do not go with us Do not send us up from here a very very short time. Before this happened and this promise That god would be with them was given. Their children of israel Israel the israelites had greatly sinned And grieved god.

They set set up a golden image. You remember the golden calf and they bowed and worshipped that calf and they said These are your gods this is Israel. They had seen the greatness of god. They had seen his glory As they passed the red sea.

Over and over again along their way god revealed himself to them. But it seemed as if it didn't mean a thing to them. They turned around made a golden calf and worshipped it And said israel This is your god.

Oh the promises they had made how they sang and how they praised god When they had crossed the red sea and saw the enemy pharaoh and all His legions die In the red sea. But within a short time They sang so low They that they forgot all about it.

And they just did the opposite And bowed to a golden calf and naturally God got very very angry with them. Always remember When you sin god gets angry with you. God is a god of love And righteousness.

And that's why If we turn our backs on him with our deeds or with our words, he can't stand it. And he told moses moses you take the children of israel go up. I'll give you an angel. And the angel will go with you.

You'll be prosperous. You will be victorious. You'll receive the blessing. But don't expect me To go with you. But i'll send you a great angel and he will be with you. And he will keep you. And moses said no.

God’s Presence Is Greater Than Blessing or Victory

If you god don't go up with us. If your presence is not with us. Don't lead us up from here. We stay put we don't go. Moses was a great man of god and I can understand When the lord was at the on the mount of transfiguration.

Moses was one of the two who Was there When our lord was transfigured and glorified on the mountain. This is the secret of moses success. This is what made a man of him. He wanted god's blessing. No. He wanted god's presence.

God promised him blessing. God promised him Victory over all the enemies. God promised him the land of where milk and honey flows. He says I don't want to have anything with do to do with it if you are not with us.

God Meant more to him than heaven. God meant more to him Than silver or gold. God meant more to him than success. Fame or whatever it is. Whatever the world can promise us. Not even the presence of angels.

An angel sent by god. You get people that speak of an angel. That is with them leading them. But moses was not of that kind. He says I'm not satisfied with anything less Than god's presence. God made that this moses made that decision.

He made that commitment. When we speak of the decisions moses made we immediately Ask ourselves What decisions have we made in our past? What commitment? What have we promised god in our past? Have you ever promised god?

The Danger of Breaking Promises to God

I will serve you god. I'll follow you to the end. God you are worth more to me than anything else in the world. And I want you to know this And understand it clearly. If you don't keep that promise. You are cursed and you are damned.

If you should die now you'll go to hell. I'll never forget a young man who promised that he'd serve god and he said when i'm grown up I'll preach the gospel with you. When he had finished schooling His father said no you can't go that way.

You've got to work And earn some money. And he did that. And then slowly but surely he drifted away from god. Where he didn't take god so seriously anymore. It wasn't long after that I received the news that he was imprisoned.

And then I heard the news That he got the death sentence. He was hanged. And he wrote me a letter a letter that got lost. And I regret it to this very day. One couldn't read his letter Without being moved and touched to the deepest depths of the heart.

And he says oh Please go around in the world to have all the congregations wherever you can go to. And tell them if they've ever made a commitment or a decision Promising god Something See to it. That they keep it because if not They are guilty before god and they must learn This lesson from me.

I'm hanged i'm going to be hanged as a young man. Because I promised god Something but my father said no and I listened to him. Instead of listening to god we've got to Listen to god more Than to anybody else in this world.

But make sure That it is god. And that's the heartbreaking thing that we forgive forget what we promised god. Maybe your child was sick. Maybe you were sick. You made a promise. Oh god, if you help me if you save my child or save me out of this situation I will serve you.

You don't abide by it. My Just a few hours before this service Dorothy newlands was with me. And she told me about Yesterday morning At assembly when she spoke to the children. She told them the story and I said, oh dorothy do me a favor Photocopy that and bring it to me.

I want to Share that with the people at the marriage and she kindly did so. And I said look i'll even tell them that it's miss dorothy newlands who gave me this. It's a feather in your head. It's the story of a orthopedic surgeon jason withers Was a 36 year old carpenter.

The Surgeon’s Story: Promises and Consequences

And as he was working with a circular saw Saw Our brother owen schroeder. He worked he works with saws as well. He got his hand into it. And four fingers of his right hand were cut off. He immediately went to hospital.

I was told years ago when I was in america That it's one of the best hospitals in america. Billy grahams. His Right-hand man or his organizer had. He told me he had Lung lung problem his lungs were giving in.

And they wanted to transplant his lungs At this very hospital. But He died before He got that transplant. The people who were with him jason withers quickly picked up all the fingers. They were neatly cut off.

Put them on ice and into ice and rushed to the hospital And said maybe Maybe they could transplant those Fingers and this doctor Immediately spoke To his senior and said Could we Do that for this man?

Because he said is there something that you guys can do for me? Says with his eyes Teared up Can you put my fingers? Back on when The doctor says surgeon speak spoke to his senior. He says find out. Does he smoke?

And when he was asked do you smoke? He said yes. And his senior said look i'm not going to waste my time on that man. I won't do that up. This doctor felt sorry for him because he begged him please please help me.

This is my right hand. I lost my four fingers. I've got two little children. He took his Cigarettes Out of his pocket and threw them away. He says i i promise I'll never smoke again. The doctor found his senior because he was only A surgeon for two years.

And he spoke to his senior and said he is a smoker. But he promises he'll stop it. He'll never smoke again. And his senior said look that's what they all say i'll say that. But they are liars. After time they smoke again.

Well That's what his senior said he says I won't waste my time on him. And this young man he says I was as young as this young man was. And I had two children as well, and I felt sorry for him. And I said let's help him he promised he'll never smoke again.

And his senior said that's what they all say and they don't keep it. Oh may god grant that not one of us here Is found in that category. And if you've made a promise in the past you didn't keep it repent today at this wedding day Jesus made wine at the The marriage feast.

And you repent on this day. Otherwise you leave this place Being cursed and damned and these aren't empty words. I'm telling you This young man said I was so upset By his fingers. And he says will you stop smoking?

And the man said yes the doctor said It's about the worst thing a man can do to harm his body To smoke. It's about the worst thing you can do to your body To smoke and then if you hear god's word Your body is my temple.

Your body is the body of the holy spirit. That's where god dwells he says Firstly it's one of the worst things a person can do is To harm his body to smoke secondly. Thirdly it constricts blood vessels.

He says even if we Should be able to reattach your fingers And get the adequate blood flow to them. All that work Would go down the drain. If you Smoked even one cigarette again The vessels would constrict And the fingers would die.

He says sitting there looking at me. Jason dug a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket. He threw them on the floor doc. If you guys put my fingers back on i'll never smoke again every. And I believed him that From many a counselor and a preacher Believes people when they say we're going to follow the lord we're going to go god's way and if Gert says this is my word then I believe That Gert from now on Will walk with god Every day of his life.

And if jennifer is his true wife She won't be so foolish and so stupid As turn her back On that he says I called wilk. That's the senior doctor Laid out jason's scenario Working hard to convince him We should do the surgery.

Jason says he will quit smoking. He says he'll never Take another puff again and wilk said That's what they all say. It's a pity that mankind has sunk so low That they don't keep the word. They say something and before the sun sets A week has passed they do the opposite thing.

They did the operation. The his senior said all right then. For hours and hours and hours they sat there. He worked all night his senior. And he says man i'm damned if I given all my. I give all my strength energy wisdom In sewing on these fingers If he should smoke again.

They did it and the fingers. The first two three days didn't look very promising. But then after the third the fourth day they noticed a change of color. And the doctor says hey the blood is going through.

And they're growing on and it turned out to be a successful operation But cost many many thousands of dollars and much energy of the doctors. And then about the 10th day after the op He could go home.

And he went home. Didn't take long. His wife phoned The young doctor and said something has gone wrong. Something has gone wrong. His fingers are turning black. They don't look well at all. He says let him come immediately.

He came. He looked at them. And he could see how they had deteriorated. He says let me ask you jason. Have you smoked again. Tell me the truth. He said yes, I had a cigarette. Can you understand now that I say cursed and damned is the man Who doesn't keep his vow?

And his promise. He's he says well, what shall I do? I can't phone my senior. What will he say? What will he think of me? He says he went through agony. And They tried to save those fingers. But within a few days Everything was lost.

And he had just the short stumps left. He says look young man. You'll have to go Through life like this and bear the consequences. You've wasted your life. You promised. And you didn't keep that promise.

Remembering Vows in Marriage and Faith

So it will be with everyone not only hurt and jennifer every one of us. Who's made a promise to god and doesn't keep it? Said oh god, we'll serve you. There's nobody like you. It didn't take long and then they bowed to a calf.

It wasn't even alive. But it was golden and gold speaks to us appeals to us. And the image of an ox which eateth grass can a child of god. Being saved. Sink so low. We've sung. We're pressing on. On higher ground.

May that prayer be answered. That's why god got angry with him and he said moses I'll send an angel he can accompany you. He can be with you. He'll bless you. You'll have a land flowing with milk and honey.

Moses said I don't want it. I don't want luxury. I don't want money. I don't want a good life. I want god. I want god. But moses being a man of god stood and said god think of these people. Think of me.

You chose me. You called this people. What are the enemies going to say? If they see that you Are not well pleased with us. That you are not well pleased with us. See moses. He wanted to live a life that's well pleasing to god.

He wanted to bring joy To god's heart and that's why he wanted to abide in his presence like God. Not like the prodigal son. Bless me god. Fill my wagon. Give me all that I that you've got in store for me.

My inheritance. And he left. I went with the world. With immoral girls. With drunkards. With the smokers. Where did he end? With the pigs. And you know that in the greek language He went to a man and he clung to him.

Is the same word as you find in corinthians? If a man clings to a prostitute He's one body with her so He went from bad to worse. He turned to be a homosexual. That's how far he went. Turn your back on god.

Don't don't worship him as god. And he let you go. And you land where you never expected. Where you could land? And in the text moses said lord What will the people say? If you are not pleased well pleased with us.

Living in a Way That Pleases God

Wherever we are. Whatever we do Whatever we say Whatever we think. We've always got to ask ourself. Is this well pleasing to god or not? The lord jesus said in john 8 verse 29 I only do that which is well pleasing to god.

You can ask yourself lord you can say my parents are well pleased. My in-laws are well pleased. But the question is is god well pleased? With your life. I remember in 52 and when I was in pretoria, I walked on the streets and there was a cinema very big.

Big entrance and I just walked slightly Toward the entrance and I looked at that those pictures. I'll never forget that time. This is not the place For a child of god or a man who walks with god. I turned around like that and left.

And since that day i've never never Faced. The bioscope never. Nowadays, we don't have bioscopes. We've got tv. The bioscope is right in our house. I remember young man. He lived with his widow mother.

She sweated to bring him up. She gave his life for him. And then he'd be with his friends and he called and came back and he says oh mom there's a wonderful. A wonderful film this evening. It is so educational.

And so good come with me and his mother said My. And he begged and begged and begged and nagged. Till eventually his old mother agreed. She got dressed. She went with him to see that film. Today we'd say that video.

And as they sat down She bowed her head and she prayed Asking the lord to be with her right there. And the boy did this to his mother ma Foreign. There are many places you won't be able to go if you want to go with god's presence.

Holiness, Obedience, and the Cost of Conformity

Many places you'll have to keep your promises. And every promise of god has got to a condition and you'll have to fulfill the condition. There are people who live in a fool's paradise. Who say well I walk with god i'm with god.

Samson did the same. And god said as long as you've got long hair I'll be with you. We haven't got time to speak about that. It's just a marriage service now that has got a is of special significance and meaning.

And when the enemy came He says i'll arise. It'd be victorious. And he didn't know that god had left him. God is Locate that you say god has met me. And on the end of on the back matthew cv in front of scott.

I say cop and I say kenny for the only. That's a terrible thing here in our province. Today, it's guazulu netel. Before it was netel. And there was a lady. And she could speak so piously about her jesus about god.

And when she was on her deathbed I won't mention her name and the place. Maybe some even know her. Or will know who i'm talking about. She said my jesus is coming to fetch me. Then after a while she said to the family I can hear his footsteps.

He's round the corner. And when he came into the door She was shocked. To the very core of her being she turned around and she says oh not you. I don't want you. It was the devil that came. Just imagine a woman.

A christian woman going through her life walking with god and her god is the devil. It's where you can say. Oh, that's a stunning thing, but that's out of the ordinary. No, it's not out of the ordinary.

Truthfulness and the Distinction of God’s People

Have you ever told a lie or are you spreading lies and believing lies? The bible says that Devil is the father of lies. And the father of liars. That's the naked truth. That's what the bible says. If you have believed a lie And spread a lie.

You know who your father is the devil. That's what his word says so make sure That if you claim you walk in the presence of god that it's the right god. Not a golden calf. Not the devil. And then I get to the last point where moses said What else will?

Distinguish me and your people from all the other people of death on the face of The earth. First I need it. What else will? Distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth.

If you walk with god you'll be distinguished as somebody who's not like the others. You'll be different. The word of romans 12 verse 2 will be fulfilled in your life. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world.

A christian has got to be different and we don't want to be different. I always said i'm so glad that i'm in africa. The blacks Won't be like the whites Because of tv. And how wrong I was. They saw a short show as A certain hairstyle on tv.

The next thing all the people have got it or a haircut. Not only the young even the grown-ups have it. They like to be like the world certain fashion. It goes even through the christians young and old the hairstyle The kind of dress.

And it's not only that there are still 101 other things moses says oh god. How will the people distinguish us from all the other people. A christian? Has got to be different. And if you're not Prepared to be different To all the other rest in and out of church.

You're not prepared to be different. You don't mean a thing. You please the world. You please sin. You please The enemies of god. Oh friends, it's a small thing to speak about walking with god and to say and claim i'm a christian.

But you take the bible. And make sure that you are one lest you turn on your deathbed like that white woman Here in a tale. No I wasn't expecting you. We've got to be different. You've got to be different to other men And other people.

Marriage as a Witness to Holiness

And you jennifer as well. We know how the women of the world are And what they are like. But you be a woman as the bible says in subjection to your husband as unto the lord. At the same time. If it's contrary to god's will then you've got to obey god more than men.

But otherwise. You know what the standard is. And you heard You've got to give yourself lovingly as jesus gave himself For the church and to the church to sanctify her To make her holy. That when she dies and you sit at her corpse God will be well pleased.

Say thank you. You've sanctified your life wife. You made her holy. And the same to you jennifer you're supposed to be a help to your husband. Bring him closer to god Be a blessing to him and then god.

You'll have a smile upon you at the end. And it will be worth it. There's nothing in this world as important as that. You've chosen a wonderful word Lord if you Your presence doesn't go with me. I don't want an angel.

I don't want the victory over my enemies. I don't want to be successful. I want your presence to be with me. May you never forget it. I use some examples To make it real to you And indelibly inscribe it To your mind your heart Day in day or night or on your honeymoon.

That people will say this man this couple is different. This couple is different. Once I rejoiced greatly When I heard of a certain woman and the worldly talk or talking the worldly peeping people talking about her saying that woman Dresses very well.

Is that the woman that dresses so well unbelievers noticing she's Different to the others she dresses According to god's standard. I hope that not only gert And jennifer have heard what's being said, but you all.

Prayer for a God-Centered Marriage

Shall we pray then and ask god's blessing upon lord? There are good days And there are bad days. There are hot days And there are cold days. There are beautiful days and there are stormy days. Whether it's good or bad May they always be found to be well pleasing to bringing on and glory to your name bless That he'll be a man Listening to the text he has chosen in the presence watching god With him and he says Don't lead us up from here lord.

If you are not with us Let them always go up but with god Like the marriage nowadays Be a marriage with a difference showing forth The beauty and the glory of our god. They're showing us How you loved your church gave yourself and Sanctifies this church and she shows us how the church Should bow to a master Be a blessing to their relationship Not be a dog and cat.

May there never Be anything be found in their married life That shall not be holy and well pleasing to god And according to his will. So may your grace lord jesus be with them. It's only by your grace That they can keep their vows and the promise peter said i'll never forsake you and he did it.

He denied you he betrayed you. And may they never betray you because of your grace lord jesus. And may the love of the father Flood their hearts and their souls the divine love Not the love of ananias and sapphira But the love of god.

And may the presence the very presence of the holy spirit be with them Leading them in all the truth According to the heavenly and eternal purpose may they be a dwelling place Where god can dwell where god can stay.

Grant them that this text will be written Above and upon their marriage into the deepest depths of their hearts.