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Text: Deut. 33:26-27
Title: "The God Above, the God Beside, the God Beneath, and the God Before" or “Move That Mountain.”
Thesis: God is our all-sufficient help.
Intro: We catch up with Moses as he stands before his mountain — Mt.
Nebo. Moses’ mountain was hewed from the granite of his unbelief and lack of faith in God. You all know the story, how Moses, in disobedience to God, smote the Rock (and that Rock was Christ) instead of speaking to it as God had commanded. Now this mountain, built by unbelief, stands in the way of Moses’ entering the promised land.
What mountain are you facing? Every person here is having a relationship with a mountain. A scant few of you are on the peak, looking down, glad to be there, but fearful of the height and the responsibility. Most of the rest of us are looking up at a mountain situated directly in our path. We are wondering how we will ever get over it or around it. It seems just as insurmountable to us as Moses’ mountain seemed to him,
Though each of us might define our personal mountain in many different terms, the Lord Jesus Christ has put His omniscient finger directly on our problem in Mat. 17:20, when the disciples came to Him and asked, "Why could we not....?" (you fill in the rest). "And Jesus said unto them. BECAUSE OF YOUR UNBELIEF: for verily I say unto you, IF YE HAVE FAITH as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, [of unbelief] Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. " It is not that we will not have mountains in our path, but our unbelief (lack of faith) in the abilities of God will make the mountains seem immovable.
Consider another verse with me. In Isa. 40:4 we are told what happens when the Lord Jesus Christ comes upon the scene. "Every valley shall be exalted, and EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL SHALL BE MADE LOW: ..." Now, has Jesus Christ come into your life? Are you saved? Then He has already leveled your mountain to manageable proportions! If the mountain before you seems insurmountable, it is not because of God, but is because of your lack of faith in God.
Though Moses stood before that mountain, We now find his eyes fixed on God! And though God did not remove this "mountain” from Moses’ path, by grace He set Moses upon its pinnacle.
Tonight, I want to encourage you to turn your gaze, as Moses did, from your mountain to your Maker. The greater your faith in the God of all grace, the sooner your mountain will be moved from its place.
Deut. 33:26-28 --- "The God Above, the God Beneath, the God Beside, and the God Before" — prayer
I. THE GOD ABOVE (v26)
(You will either look at God, or at your mtn!)
Note: Though you might be staring at your mountain tonight, the first place the Holy Spirit directs our attention is up. When you see the mountain of unbelief begin to rise, look up! "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth" (Ps." 121:1-2). What will we see when we look up?
A. "None Like Unto Him"
Note: Write it in stone — "there is none like unto Him." Search the world below, the world around, and the heavens above — "there is none like Him." Stop wasting your time looking somewhere else for your needs. Quit trying to substitute a god of your making — "there is none like unto Him" (in 5 particulars)
1. He is "THE ONE & ONLY GOD"
a. "The" means one definite God
Deut. 4:35 "Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD He is God;. there is none else beside him."
1) Only one God, the God of the Bible!
b. "God" means God! (all that He is)
c. This sets in relief the reality of God compared to the changing circumstances of unbelief.
Your mountain isn't a god!
2. He is a personal God ("God of Jeshurun")
Note: The best scholars can do is that "Jeshurun" means "upright one." Therefore, God is a God of the "upright"; those whose right standing is in Jesus Christ. He is not a God of the masses, but of the individual.
3. He is an omnipotent and exalted God
a. "Rideth" = seated upon the heavens
1) Unlimited in His power and position
a) He has the power to do, or not to do!
Note: Don't you think, as a perfect Father, God desires to save you from yourself? But is that helpful?
2) Unlimited in His vision (He can see your need)
Ex. 15:11 "Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
Your mountain isn't blocking God's view?
4. He is a God Who helps ("thy help")
a. Not helping Himself, but helping you
1) Unlimited assistance
a) Grace is His motivation, mercy is His method
Ps. 116:4-7 "Then called I upon the Name of the LORD: 0 LORD, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the. LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and He helped me. Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee." (Ps. 50:15)
Is your mountain able to stop God's help?
5. He is a excellent God ("Excellency on the sky")
a. "Excellency" = proud, majestic, excellent
Note: What He does will be right! What He does will be best! He is jealous over that which belongs to Himself. Do you belong to God? Will God allow a mere mountain to defeat His purpose in you?
II. THE GOD BESIDE (v27a)
A. An Eternal God
1. Unaffected by time or circumstance. Your mtn. doesn't change God.
EXO 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:... And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My Name forever and this is My memorial unto all generations." Eternal God.
a. The God of old,knowing the end from the beginning. He knew about your mountain.
b. The God of now, providing what is necessary. He knows what you need to overcome your mountain.
c. The God of tomorrow, already there, preparing what is best for us. He knows the divine purpose and end result in your mountain.
B. A Triune God
1. "Elohim" = Father, Son, Holy Spirit
a. The Father oversees the totality of your life from heaven ("You need the testing of that mtn.")
b. The Son intercedes over the totality of your life from God's Right Hand ("Father, for My sake, reveal that mountain for what it really is.")
c. The Holy Spirit directs the totality of your life from within ("Child, go around, over, through the mountain")
C. A God of Shelter
1. "Refuge" = dwelling, habitation
a. A place of safety and provision PSA 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
b. A personal place ("thy")
c. A permanent place ("refuge")
Note: We are called to be "strangers and pilgrims" on this earth, like our Lord, with no certain worldly dwelling place. Our permanent place is in heaven, but as we pass through this world, we need a refuge, a dwelling, a habitation. This is our God! We are to be found in Him, to be secure in Him, and to be satisfied in Him, not in our surroundings and circumstances! When the mtn. begins to rumble, run to your refuge.
III. THE GOD BENEATH (v27b)
A. Our security, safety-net
Note: When we look up, we are raised up. When we look at our mountain, we are deceived, and when we look down, we commence to fall. Is all hope lost? Will we fall? No! A 1000 times, No!
B. Underneath are the Everlasting Arms
1. "Arms" speak of strength, power, and ability
2. "Everlasting" speaks of strength which is never exhausted
C. Arm of God is Jesus Christ
Note: Out of 67 uses of the word "Arm" in the Bible, almost 1/2 of them refer directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the out-stretched Arm, the mighty Arm, the victorious Arm, the Arm of first-light, the gathering Arm, the Arm of salvation, the trustworthy Arm, and many more. These are the Arms that will catch, uplift and hold you when you fall. You can't fall far — underneath are the everlasting Arms!!
Jude 1:24-25 "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling ,_ and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen . "
Will a mountain cause you to fall from His grace?
IV. THE GOD BEFORE (v27c)
A. He goes before our path. He makes a way when there seems no way. No mountain can stand in His presence.
B. He thrusts out the enemy
1. "Thrust" = cast out, drive away, expel ("an effective separation between persons or groups")
a. The enemy is anyone who seeks your hurt.
1) Satan, his demons, and his children
2) Your sin-nature
3) The world-system
Note: If the mountain of unbelief did not stand in our way, I do not believe that any of these "enemies" could stand in our path. But most of us believe more in the insurmountability of the mountain, then we
trust in the abilities of God.
C. He directs our path ("destroy them")
1. Put to death that which hinders your progress
Concl: Has a mountain of unbelief obscured your view of God? If so, you have fixed your gaze on the problem and not the solution. Your solution is to be found in the all-sufficiency of your God.
Your God is above you to help, beside you to guide, beneath you to catch, and before you to protect. The size of your mountain is directly related to your faith in God. Will you determine to trust Him?
(V. THE SAFETY OF God’s People (v28))
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