Revival of a Backslidden Church

A Sermon for the Backslidden church from Exodus 33:1-23

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Scripture

Exodus 33:1-23 ESV KJV

The LORD said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel … The LORD said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (ESV)

1And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: 2And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 3Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

4¶ And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 5For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. 6And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

7And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 8And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. 9And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. 10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. 11And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

12¶ And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. 17And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Sermon Description

What should the church do when it is compromised and apathetic? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues effectively that the answer is revival. In this sermon on the backslidden church from Exodus 33:1–23 titled “Revival of a Backslidden Church,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives four essential steps to revival: 1) the church must identify with the state of the people; 2) it must separate to meet with God; 3) it must be urgent in prayer; and 4) it must want more of God. First, Moses saw the state of the people and reacted by standing in the gap and preached truth to the people, even if people did not react favorably. Today’s church must do the same. Second, he moved the camp out from the people, and those who are spiritually alive, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, must do the same. He notes the examples in church history such as the Wesley brothers, George Whitefield’s “Holy Club,” and others. Next, Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues, “Orthodoxy alone will not win the battle” but Christians must urgently pray with faithful expectation. They must pray with “holy boldness.” Lastly, Dr. Lloyd-Jones urges the Christian not to settle, but to desire more of God. Moses desired more of God than he was given (lest Moses die), but the result was still a powerful manifestation of God.

Sermon Breakdown

Moses identifies with the sinful condition of the people and intercedes on their behalf. He takes responsibility and delivers God's message to them, calling them to repentance.
Moses removes the tabernacle from the camp and sets it up outside the camp. Those who seek the Lord go out to the tabernacle. Moses meets with God there.
Moses is not satisfied and prays urgently for God's presence and power to go with them, for God's glory, and for the honor of God's people. He pleads with boldness, reasoning, and orderliness.
God agrees to do as Moses asks, but says Moses cannot see God's face and live. God allows Moses to see His back as He passes by, and proclaims His name and attributes.
Moses worships in humility. Revival brings a glimpse of God's glory and power, humbling us and exalting Him.
We must feel the burden of the times, come together, seek God's face, and wait on Him. We must desire to know God and see His glory.

Sermon Q&A

What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Highway to Revival?

Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Exodus 33, here are key questions and answers about revival that reflect his teaching:

What is true revival according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, true revival is not an evangelistic campaign. He defines it as "a visitation of the Spirit of God, a mighty movement within the whole body of the church." He emphasizes that "revival applies and appertains to the church herself rather than to the outsider." It is "a revivification, a reenlivening of the church herself," with the outsider only deriving benefits from it, not being its primary focus.

What are the four steps to revival that Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies in Exodus 33?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies four essential steps or stages to revival:

Identification with the condition of the people - Moses took the burden upon himself though he wasn't guilty, felt responsibility, and interceded for the people.
Separation for pure worship - Moses pitched the tabernacle outside the camp where those who truly sought the Lord could meet with Him away from the distractions and sin.
Urgent, importunate prayer - Moses refused to be satisfied with partial blessings and boldly pleaded with God based on His promises.
Seeking God's glory - Moses ultimately asked to see God's glory, wanting nothing less than a direct manifestation of God Himself.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the role of separation in revival?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that separation is "taking the tabernacle outside the camp, far away from the camp, because the majority don't understand." This separation is not done in self-righteousness like the Pharisees, but "in order that with a greater intensity and a greater purity, they might worship God and seek his will." He cites historical examples like the Waldensians, Puritans, Covenanters, Pilgrim Fathers, and the "Holy Club" at Oxford that started Methodism. This separation is done not for spiritual elitism but to provide "peace and quiet, to worship God and to meditate" away from the "hubbub and the noise and the bustle" of compromised religious life.

What characterizes true intercessory prayer in revival according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes revival prayer as marked by: - Boldness and confidence before God - Reasoning with God based on His promises - Orderliness and specificity in requests - Urgency and persistence - Refusing to be satisfied with less than God's presence

He says true intercessors "plead his own promises to God" and "draw on the cords of the promises." They pray not just for personal assurance and power, but ultimately for God's glory, the honor of the church, and the impact on unbelievers around them.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say that seeking God's glory is the ultimate aim of revival?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that true revival culminates in seeking to see God's glory. Moses wasn't satisfied with promises of prosperity or even God's presence - he wanted to see God's glory directly. While we cannot see God's face and live, God allows glimpses of His "back parts" - partial revelations of His glory. This vision of God's glory produces profound humility, as Moses "made haste and bowed his head to the earth and worshipped." Lloyd-Jones concludes that this is our greatest need - not clever strategies but to be "humbled to the dust and be amazed at the power and the glory of God."

Itinerant Preaching

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.

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