Title: Beholding Him

Sermon Summary: This sermon explores the transformative power of spending time in God’s presence, contrasting the fading glory of the Old Covenant with the enduring glory available to believers through the New Covenant in Christ. The pastor emphasizes the importance of “beholding” God, which leads to personal transformation and a deeper understanding of His will. He encourages believers to prioritize time with God, going “outside the camp” to experience His presence and be changed from glory to glory.

Key Points:
- The ministry of the Spirit brings more glory than the Old Covenant
- Moses’ experience with God’s glory was a foreshadowing of what believers can now access
- Beholding God leads to transformation and liberty from various spiritual veils
- The battle for our eyes and what we focus on is crucial in spiritual growth
- Regular time in God’s presence leads to hearing His voice and discerning His will
- The Holy Spirit’s role is to transform believers into the image of Christ

Scripture Reference:
- 2 Corinthians 3 (primary focus)
- Exodus 32-34 (Moses’ encounters with God)
- John 5:37-41 (Jesus addressing the Pharisees about truly knowing God)
- 2 Corinthians 4:6 (God’s light shining in our hearts)

Stories:
- The story of Moses going up Mount Sinai while the Israelites worshipped the golden calf
- The contrast between Moses’ fading glory and the enduring glory available through Christ
- Personal anecdote about the pastor calling his office “the tent of meeting” for prayer and seeking God’s presence

The Power of Beholding: Transforming Our Lives Through God’s Presence

In a world filled with distractions and constant noise, there’s an invitation extended to each of us - an invitation to experience something far greater than what our everyday lives offer. It’s a call to step outside our normal routines, to venture beyond the familiar, and to encounter the transformative power of God’s presence.

This journey begins with a simple yet profound truth: we need more of God’s presence in our lives. As the prophet Hosea urged, we must “press in to know Him.” God is calling us to Himself, beckoning us to draw near and experience His consuming fire. But how do we respond to this call? How do we position ourselves to receive more of His presence?

The answer lies in understanding the power of beholding. Throughout scripture, we see examples of those who encountered God face-to-face, and were forever changed by the experience. Moses, in particular, stands out as someone who understood the value of seeking God’s presence.

In Exodus 33, we read about Moses setting up the “tent of meeting” outside the camp. It was a place set apart, where he would go to commune with God. The text tells us that “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” This intimate connection with God was so powerful that when Moses returned to the camp, his face would shine with the reflected glory of God.

But here’s the incredible truth - we have access to an even greater glory than Moses experienced. The apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3, explains that while Moses’ encounter with God’s glory was temporary and fading, we have the opportunity for a permanent, ever-increasing experience of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit.

Paul writes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

This transformation occurs as we behold God. It’s a spiritual principle: what we look at long enough, we become. Our gaze shapes our character, our desires, and our actions. This is why the battle for our attention is so crucial. The world constantly vies for our focus, bombarding us with images and messages designed to capture our gaze. But God invites us to fix our eyes on Him, promising that as we do, we will be “transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory.”

So how do we cultivate this practice of beholding God? It starts with intentionality. We must make a conscious decision to “pitch our tent” outside the camp of our busy lives. This means carving out time and space to be alone with God, free from distractions. It might mean waking up earlier, turning off our devices, or finding a quiet place where we can focus solely on His presence.

As we enter into this place of beholding, we begin to experience the removal of veils that have obscured our vision. Veils of shame, inferiority, depression, and sin start to fall away as we encounter the liberating presence of God. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom - freedom to see ourselves and others as God sees us, freedom to live in the fullness of who He created us to be.

This practice of beholding isn’t just about personal transformation; it equips us for the challenges we face in the world. As we spend time in God’s presence, we begin to hear His voice more clearly, discerning His will for our lives. We receive His glory, not the fleeting approval of others. And perhaps most importantly, we are filled with His love - both for Him and for others.

Jesus Himself modeled this practice of seeking the Father’s presence. In the Gospels, we often read of Him withdrawing to lonely places to pray. He understood the necessity of communion with the Father, even in the midst of a busy ministry. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed this time of beholding, how much more do we?

The invitation is clear, but the choice is ours. Will we make room in our lives to behold God? Will we step outside the camp of our comfort and convenience to meet with Him? The promise is that as we do, we will experience transformation beyond what we could ask or imagine.

Practical steps might include:

1. Setting aside dedicated time each day for prayer and meditation on God’s Word.
2. Creating a specific space in your home for encountering God’s presence.
3. Practicing the art of listening prayer, where we quiet our minds to hear God’s voice.
4. Engaging in worship, both corporately and privately, as a means of fixing our gaze on God.
5. Regularly examining what captures our attention and intentionally redirecting our focus to God.

As we embark on this journey of beholding, we can trust that God will meet us. He promises in His Word, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). The more we behold Him, the more we will be changed - our perspective will shift, our priorities will align with His, and we will increasingly reflect His character to the world around us.

In a world that constantly competes for our attention, let us choose to fix our gaze on the One who alone can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. As we behold Him, may we experience the transformative power of His presence, becoming more and more like the glorious image we were created to reflect.

The invitation stands. The choice is yours. Will you step outside the camp and behold the glory of God?