 Anyway this morning if you would turn to Deuteronomy chapter 3 and I will read to you out of there of Moses as he's sharing with the children of Israel a conversation that he had with the Lord and the Lord speaking to him on some matters that he brought up. Verse 23 is where I'm going to pick it up through the end of the chapter. Moses again reflecting. Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying, oh Lord God you begun to show your servant your greatness in your mighty hand for what God is there in heaven or on earth that can do anything like your works and your mighty deeds. I pray let me cross over and see this good land beyond the Jordan those pleasant mountains in Lebanon but the Lord was angry with me on your account and he would not listen to me so the Lord said unto me enough of that speak no more to me of this matter go up to Piska and to lift up your eyes the west the north the south and the east and behold with your eyes but you will not cross over this Jordan but command Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him for he shall go over before the people and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see so I stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor. Father we thank you so wonderful to be a part of the body of Christ this wonderful family the Lord as we gather together we're just here today as individuals that's the real issue in the Christian life it's a one-on-one with you primarily it's always there it's you speaking to us helping us encouraging us directing forgiving cleansing and helping us guiding us Lord we ask that your word that does so many things to an audience at one time things that we each individually need to hear and Lord we pray that that's what would happen as we each open our heart say Lord speak to me my life something that applies to me that I need to hear from heaven today so Lord we open our hearts and we ask that you would work for we ask it in Jesus name amen well they have always asked me for a title for things why just gave them the title Moses's desire but here as we look at Moses you know he reflects something here as you look at this that I think that is so important about everybody a desire and it an eternal desire a great desire Proverbs 29 18th tells us a verse that most of us already know know well probably it said where there is no vision the people perish one of the most fundamental things that there is a life to really continue on to have anything of meaning or direction or fulfillment is there's got to be a vision there's got to be something in each individual's lives why are you here that has been determined spiritually before God and that defines so much of what we are you see if we don't have that which many people don't most of the world all they have they don't have a vision they have a calendar they just have something to get up and what day is it and what do I have to do to get through today or this week or this month and all they're doing is just endlessly turning pages of survival guide somehow another just carried on you know trying to figure out the next point in life the next decision in life the next issue in life making that decision and moving on to the next and for many people life is little more than just moving from pillar to post and at the end of it when you would look at where you've been what have you done and it's kind of a muddled sort of a thing when they would really define it beyond well I lived here I had you know this life I have this marriage of these children or work there or whatever else but then when they would really go farther than that well now in terms of your life who were you what was your existence why were you alive why did God make you what is it all about and if you don't know that it's it's hard to have much intensity now we all have trials all the way through life everybody you know does I mean there's up there's down there's there's issues that go on in relationships and your marriage with your children with your career with your health you know moving around it you know your your in-laws outlaws relatives solving problems those happen all the way through life for everybody and there's all these things that hit you but but overriding there's got to be some fundamental vision that that outlasts and that is stronger than any of those things are at any given point if many times we're like a you know ship that's out in the ocean in the rough the seas can be rough you can be knocked off course the winds can blow you another way but if you've got a rudder and you've got it that this is how I get back on course this is what a where this is my destination this is my identity this is who I am where I'm going and many people they don't have that it's just like they could be shifted just by any wind and all of a sudden well I guess my life's going this direction now and rather than having something that is that is deeper than that and tragically so many people again life is a little more than just pillar to post their theme and song is just survival but when you look at great characters in history and particularly in the Bible they have something that is far greater they have a defining identity they have a purpose and though many times I mean it's attacked in its end and it can be knocked off course you look at any I don't care whether you pick Moses you pick David you pick Elijah you see horrendous things come along in their lives and yet at the same time they corrected they got hit they did this they learned this they grew through this in fact some of those times when the storms came were the greatest times of helping to redefine who they were in even a deeper conviction and that's so important that somebody looks and they really have I have do I have anything about me and you know one of the things about Moses is he's a classic of that and Moses was a man that fundamentally what happened to him is the man was utterly spoiled in a sense for this world because of a burning bush a burning bush essentially ruined him for all of this life as he had ever known it up until then and that happened when he was 80 years old this is a finding out who you are and what you're all about doesn't have to happen when you're 10 or 15 or 20 I mean it's more wonderful the younger you are but at the same time there's no age limit to where you know this happens but here when somebody finds that where Moses is he went before that burning bush that changed his life he was never ever again to be the same who he was his identity why he existed where he was going what he was all about where he fit into the world how he worked with people that all took a primary leave a powerful adjustment at that time that it was constantly readjusted in a sense refied purified but always you know on that direction and Moses was a man there when God called him there to go and lead the children of Israel and something happened within him this man he found himself whether to go before Pharaoh's or go to before you know rivers that wouldn't open or to go before all the struggles in life there was nothing is horrendous as it could be that was bigger than his vision God kept him on that you know on that course through these these times and here is God then called him to take the children of Israel out of Egypt through the wilderness into the promised land was what God called him to do he didn't finish that we'll find about more of that you know in a little while but but he was somebody there that this was was what he was all about and of course he brought them out of Egypt and as he brought them out in this incredible show of power that God you there you know through the plagues and through the things that occurred there and finally opening up the river and bringing them out of Egypt destroying the most powerful army in the world at the time and setting a course for them to go on into the land but as you no doubt know the children of Israel they fear to go over they decided you know just survival they picked their own calendar we'll stay here we'll think about that we'll wonder about it where Moses his calendar was defined and what he was all about when it was clear to him and he continued to try to tell the children of Israel that God has given us this land it's ours well they said in 12 spies you know the story 10 came back with an evil report said there's giants in the land they'll kill us oh yes there's milk and there's honey and there's all these things they brought back the grapes you know it's incredible it's a wonderful life out there it's a wonderful world we we'd love to have that with all our hearts but they're giants living in the land right now we go there we're dead and so we'll just survive and how what how tragic in a sense for Moses his heart to have this pulsating with his in his veins so much to go and yet there he is leading to people that won't go you wonder how many mornings he woke up just looking over there dreaming about it and what he even stood before the children of Israel do to honor before he says and because he loved my father's he brought the out of Egypt with his mighty power to drive out nations before the greater and mightier than thou art but to give thee their land for an inheritance as it is this day God says to Moses he says of course that there are giants in the land they are greater and mightier than you they are something you on your own could never handle but I've given it to you I will take care of the giants I will do that you trust me and it and and I will give thee their land for an inheritance as it is this very moment right now God for every one of us he has a life right now alive in him so much greater than anything that we have ever dreamed of ever known still yet waiting still yet therefore every one of us that's not a joke that's not something that God hangs out in front of us to dangle to tease us to mock us God looks at us it's I have so much for you I have such great plans and what it is that you could have and Moses got the he got the men the memo he got it he realized I wonder how many mornings he's look look over there wouldn't be exciting if they all just woke up today and said let's go let's go this is this wilderness is miserable we're out of desert there's nothing here we're just turning pages we're sick and tired of this you know what what do we got to lose and he probably dreamed of that and probably talked who knows how many conversations back and forth we've got to go we've got to go come on and yet at the same time no and yet that at the same time while Moses was there with the people like that it never held him back personally in verse 24 Moses said oh Lord God thou has begun to show thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand here Moses though he himself still technically in the wilderness with them his heart was in where in the land he looked there at the Lord and he had an entirely different concept in relationship and fellowship with him he looked at Lord you just begun could you imagine here we got a man about 120 years old here we kind of man there that we're talking about somebody before a burning bush we're talking about a man who went before Pharaoh there and threw down a rod it became a serpent we're talking to man he touched the Nile it turns to blood he touched dust it turns to light that to lice he brings plagues upon the earth a stretches out his rod over the Red Sea and it opens this man water comes out of rocks for a man it comes out of heaven quail come out of the sky he lifts his eyes it up and enemies are destroyed and he stretches it out at others are sucked into the earth the man ruled the course of nature for 40 years this man knew power and in the visions like anybody you do you beyond comprehension no one has ever dreamed of anything quite like this and yet he looked there and he says Lord you've just begun to show me your servant your greatness your glory your mighty hand I feel like I'm just on the edge of you could you imagine this man who knew this much experienced that much sat in the presence of God you know for 40 days received their you know the understanding the outline for the tabernacle the priesthood the sacrifices for worship for civil law moral law spiritual law the things that basically any civilized society in the world today still operates in its civil and moral and legal laws to one degree or another he's at the foundation of all of history what God gave him that has gone on and yet he looks there and he says I've just begun to see you I've just begun you would think that we got an old hand here we got a guy that's you know we were buddies man Lord and I were just like this we die I can tell you a lot about it he looked there and he said I feel like I'm just beginning to get an idea of who God is and how what a what a thing to say says for what God is there in heaven or in earth it can do things according to thy words and according to thy might and unlike you you dwell in a realm of your own and existence of your own like the psalmist says thy way oh God is in the sanctuary and who is so great a God is our God for the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods bless the Lord oh my soul oh my God thou art very great thou art clothed with honor and majesty great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable realize there that something there Moses had just sat there just kind of like he just got his little tippy toe on the edge you know of eternity and then to say I've just begun I look out over there a sea of the identity of the realm of God and I see just the little glimpse of what I know it's just the beginning of you and how unsearchable you are have you ever talked to God like that you ever thought they were you know like him could you ever speak to God like Moses did and say God I've just begun to know something of your greatness your majesty your glory to think here God I mean how he had used this man so incredible unbelievable obviously still to these days you look back and you read it either but you have to still all of history has to look back and say Moses was one incredible human being on what he experienced and yet there is somebody there can you imagine in Exodus here when God's with Moses and Moses there he's realizing he basically asked God for anything I mean when you've been that you've got this history with God and God has used you to rule nature for 40 years you've watched nature the attributes of nature just that you're back in call to move and change and open rivers dust to lice I mean just quail out of the heavens water out of rock and you realize you can basically ask God for most anything what would you ask God for God today was to come to you say what would you like I'd like to give you something what you asked for new car new house better house bigger house new kids you know new job you know new husband fix this one you know new wife you know hey I see all these great you know restoration jobs that they do on TV of women take my wife you know fix her or whatever I mean what would we what would you ask for Moses he I mean what but now when we're when we realize Moses he realizes he could I mean what what was there for him in his arena that he operated a new donkey no I don't think so I knew what I mean he's looking there he realizes that the one he does business with that the trade that they deal in is so far beyond anything known to man God says what would you like and here's somebody realizes I mean I want to carry it to go to heaven like Elijah do I what would I love and and no I don't know I and for maybe as you rack his brain he ends up and he says show me thy glory you want to know what I want you want to know what I would like I don't you all this other stuff it kind of actually gets old it gets routine been there done that with most all this other stuff that people would only dream of when you've been there you've done it you watch it happen the quail came in the water came out the man that came out of heaven and then it does it day next day and next day okay we got that one down Moses looks here and he says I want to see the hand that did it I want to see the one that in the beginning God created the heavens I want to see the hand that flung the stars into the far corners of the night I wanted to be see that I want to see the one that said let there be light and light was I want to see the one that looked at us and said I love you I created you in my image I've seen all these other things you do and there without a limit and anything I want to see the face of the one who did it I'll see you you wonder what I'm he says well you bad you can't have it he says rather than that I'll put you in that cleft of a rock and I'll pass by and you can see the afterglow for no man can see me and live let's draw you at this point you're still confined to that which is finite you couldn't hold the internet but I'll let you see as much as I can but can you there realize he saw what is your glory show me that glory you know and we tell we use this word glory and there's two kinds of glory and what one is intrinsic now when we're talking about God in his glory we're talking about something that is intrinsic that is is that when we're talking about God is there's some total of his identity of his attributes of niche omnipotence and omnipresence omnipresence omnipresence is love is grace is Murray all of his attributes all in pack together what God is his eternality his love his power there that it's it all comprises what we know is good and it's intrinsic to God and when it means something is intrinsic it means that that's what it is it's essential to it glory is intrinsic to God like light is to the Sun or warmth is to heat or wet is to water I mean it's just what it is and it's not superficial it's what it gets covered a core when we're talking about God in his glory we're talking about his identity that never changes it's flawless one end of the other beginning in the end unalterable and that's in that's when something is as a glory that is intrinsic to it then there's human glory and all other glories which are bequeathed glories or they're granted glories but they're merely superficial glories they're external glories as you know we can take a person and we can give them a realm here here's here's you know you can be the king you know of England you know or something and here's a throne and here's a crown and here's an outfit and here's a you know a scepter and and here are your subjects and here's an outfit and boy we can you dress them up and walk them down and stuff but you can also it's just in it's just to be bequeathed it's a grander glory you take away the the scepter you take away the crown they take away the outfit put him out in the street there down the road in the back alley with some bum for three weeks and you can't tell the two apart his glory is gone it's just superficial it's momentary it is something that tragically a lot of people that's what they that's what we live for we're absorbed in earthly glory we're absorbed in all of this glory of our own of ourselves you know that you look back at O.J. Simpson I grew up you know playing football and he was around and he obviously was kind of the athlete the football player at the time and you look at what he did at SC or what he did going on professional what is his career for Hall of Famer Heisman trophies and all the every all the glory that a human being could be bequeathed or granted for his accomplishments but yet at the same time we've all seen pictures of him there and you know in orange and chains standing before a judge haggard it's all gone bequeathed glory granted glory sadly you know many people don't realize that's also everybody's glory it's all it's all no matter what it is that somebody's at their house their car their job their stuff or all this other stuff that we dress our thumbs up in parade ourselves around and we can be deceived we can think that's glory it's not we can be and yet we're so easily pulled into it I know myself just growing up it's amazing I'm 70 years old and yet at the same time I still watch sports I'll still watch the Super Bowl and somehow or another while I'm watching something I put myself into it and I'm playing I'm out there on the field that's me you know there's something by the way just a couple of secrets about me that none of you know I've kept him really I won the Heisman trophy several times I have been several six times Tom Brady five he's got five I've got six rings you know I don't I don't wear him in public it's tacky you know to do it but I've been most valuable player in several Super Bowl several of them one of them I was the team played so poorly then I was a quarterback and one of them I actually had to throw the pass run down the field catch my own pass and score it was incredible that was so Super Bowl 32 yeah but it was incredible I did there was but our mind we project ourselves into these worlds we can put ourselves in there and be in rather than saying God show me thy glory we have a nature of flesh within us that can be absorbed in its own glory and it's a deception it keeps us away from really looking who am I really and God has a glory for us way beyond believe me one day when a child of God stands before God and what it was whether it was somebody that just knew what it was to give a cup of cold water in the name of the Lord Jesus it was somebody there who gave the widows might somebody there who just served and served you know in their Sunday school class or changed the diapers you know of a of little babies or they served and loved and prayed minister others they served on a follow-up you know for you know the prayer team and for people coming forward they taught their Sunday school class I tell you that person has a glory awaiting for them that no athlete with all of us you know other things ever when he stands before them there would hey and stubble the Bible says they'll perish and all these people that live I wonder whether it's in the you know the the financial world you know the billionaires of the world the ones with all of their stuff and their islands and their you know hotels and their businesses and their stocks and in everything the one there with the greatest of the musicians the Beethoven's and the Mozart's and the Paul McCarty's and I'm out of it Jackson he's dead isn't he okay but anyway but I mean it's nothing but when somebody looks there and realizes God show me thy glory ruin me ruin my life for this world that's that's what happened to Moses at 80 he stood there before a burning bush and it utterly ruined him for this world he could never again look back at it he could never again he could see it for what it was he could now stand before Pharaoh there as just a shepherd there that came out with no sense of royalty but with a royalty that he found in God and he could throw that rod down and knew who he was and here when somebody knows that when they know what it is to look and say God show me thy glory Moses was he'd been there he'd done that he was he was like a story that I read about Tuscany and he Arturo Tuscany to the great conductor that he was brought over the United States one time to play to lead the Philharmonic New York Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony which was his great one doing and he came over and he spent weeks with the brass and with the strings and all the various groups you know in the orchestra and the sections of it and worked and worked and worked and were finally the day came whether they the rehearsal for the entire orchestra is brought and they were also excited to hear finally hear Tuscany and he leave Beethoven's ninth something that their entire life had this is the pinnacle for them and they they get up there and they started off and he starts and they play Beethoven's ninth symphony and participated in that and evidently it was so beautiful to their ears that when he was done they were absolutely speechless and they're looking at Tuscany Tuscany sensing what they might be thinking you know he looked there and he blurted back at them he says who am I who is Tuscany who is Tuscany Tuscany is nobody Beethoven and here Moses knew that he knew all he was is God gave him a stick in his hand and say you play it but when he watched the river open when he watched the dust turned to lights when he toss watched the enemies destroyed when he watched water came out of rock he looked at that and realized I'm just waving a baton the glory of God has poured out in and through and around his life do you know that do you know that in a sense of God you know because if you and I are motivated by a lesser than God's glory were motivated by still yet the wrong thing when we look at our life and say God I wanted to be lived for your glory for your identity for your purposes and here Moses he had this great request and he got it and I think that God longs to grant that to all of us and when it's something take me aside hide me in the cleft of the rock let me see the one who does all of this but Moses's identity wasn't only there or as he shared there his desire was to see God's glory we're also told as he goes on he says in verse 25 he says I pray thee or I pray let me cross over and see the good land beyond Jordan those pleasant mountains and Lebanon but the Lord was angry with me on your account and he wouldn't listen to me so the Lord said enough of that speak no more to me of this matter go up to Piska lift up your eyes toward the west and the north and the south and the east and behold with your eyes for you shall not cross over this Jordan but command Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him he should go over he should cause them to inherit the land which you will see here God now tells Moses not only there is when you look at him as great desire to see him and his glory but then God has to tell him and remind him what you're here for Moses you see Moses actually he came before God and he did something that we can all be tempted with he's looking there after all these years and he's gone through it for such a long time and it get in age wears you down you get older you start thinking different sometimes a lot of things kind of mellow and in one day Moses he's looking there and realizing whatever it is going on with the children of Israel they maybe don't care about the land they don't want to go in the land they don't seem to have the fight you know and then the faith to go do it but God I do God just let me go over there I want to go home and basically what he's doing he says God I want to retire he had just been preaching for so many years house they didn't build wells they didn't dig all of years and vineyards they didn't plant utensils in homes you just would go and you drive out these giants you drive out the nations before you and everything is there is the harvest is growing the fields are ripe the well is dug the house is there the utensils are on the table your kids can go out and play you've got a home and Moses knew this and of course the children is ultimately got it but but this generation chose not to this generation in Hebrews 3 you know the writer there says to the exorcist us today says today today if you will hear his voice hard not your hearts is in the provocation of the day of the temptation in the wilderness when your father's tempted me and proved me saw my works for 40 years but therefore I was reed with that generation so I swore in my wrath they will not enter into the rest but you exhort one another daily while it is called today lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief Hebrews says their God says this is there in this real and today if you will hear his voice don't harden your hearts like they did don't just sit there and say I can't believe it this is not going to happen it's too late for me can't happen don't believe it I'll just keep turning pages I just you know I've just got a course here in life I'm gonna go on my I got my 401k kind of a hope it didn't blow apart so secure I don't know they say the last who care well they're debating it you know or whatever Medicare they're about to go up Obamacare I don't know you know but they but we'll just you know it just kind of keep reading the paper and see what's gonna happen tomorrow or is there somebody that looks there and says God I'm here for a greater reason than this I'm here for something where God looked at Moses and he says Moses enough of that in other words Moses said over and over said the Lord I want to hold that they don't I do I'm ready I like that and then he says no you know and you know how many when a when your kids come and ask you for the first time for something do you turn to him and say enough of that don't bring it up again you know that's maybe they after after they've asked a couple times then you say hello you got a brain in your head no enough don't talk about it you bring it up again I'll stop you silly you little Christian child you know or something but you look there and we said well God looked at Moses and he was angry he said and he said enough of it don't bring it up again in other words Moses really wanted this but God says you have another reason here Moses and he says you are gonna take Joshua and the others and you're gonna help to send them into the land you're gonna pull your heart and your life into them you're gonna encourage them you're gonna equip them he's gonna go over he's gonna take these people he's gonna get the job done you know most people when they think of Moses and not going into the land they don't think of this most people I would say 95% of Christians when you ask why didn't Moses go in the land immediately they say well he smoked the rock because most everybody knows the story of the children of Israel when they went out in their wilderness and they come to a very dry place and their desert Larry and they came there and there's no water and they're thirsty and they start murmuring against Moses and God and Moses goes before he's just caught I know what to do they're out there they're murmuring against you murmuring against me saying wherefore if you brought us our cattle out here to die in the wilderness you know a thirst wood that we had died in Egypt and God tells Moses just go out I want you to take your rod and smite the rock water will come out of the rock so Moses goes out you know the story he smote the rock and water came out like a torrent of flood took care of a million people and all their animals in this incredible source of water took care of it well years later 38 years later they're back at the same desert just going around in circles like they spent their lives turning pages doing the thing going nowhere and now they're back to the same year and they're murmuring again Moses goes back before God he says God they're murmuring again wherefore if you brought us our cattle out here to die a thirst wood that we had died in Egypt God says to Moses Moses I want you to this time go out and speak to the rock well you know Moses went out and he's mad he turns the children as well as his you generation of rebels white chide against God and chide against me and he takes his rod and he smokes the rock twice water still graciously came out of the rock but then God afterwards he takes Moses and Aaron aside and he says because you have not sanctified me because you have not honored me among my people you didn't represent me I'm not mad at them I didn't call them rebels you reflected aside of me that is not true it's not me because you have not sanctified me among my people Moses you will not go into the land you'll never taste a great Moses you'll preach about him but you won't take one and that seems that's harsh the guy is a bad day loses his temper smites of rock and he can't go into the land seems very harsh until you begin to look in the New Testament Jesus tells the Pharisees you search the scriptures for you in them you think you have eternal life but they are they that speak of me it's all about Christ Jesus was the Lamb of God he was the sacrifice that you know there he was the good shepherd he was the water of life there he I mean just all these types and symbols that Jesus was the fulfillment Paul tells us in Corinthians that rock from which the children of Israel drank was Christ Jesus was the rock he was the water he was all of all symbolic but Jesus was also a rock that was smitten once on the cross for our sins never to be smitten again from then on you speak to the rock and Moses in the Old Testament picture language of the Bible he crucified Christ the fresh God took him aside he says you won't go in but here we're given another reason perhaps even the greatest of reasons he looks there and he says not only you're not going to go in but I have a greater thing for you to do I want you to pour your life into those behind you Moses you think you're getting older you just want to retire you just ready to go you know park it somewhere until you know the hard stops beating Moses that'll you heaven is coming retirement is coming nothing in the Bible about retirement we've created that concept and then you know about you know growing old and having this kickback I'd tell you I don't know what it's it's not what it's cracked up to me you know I mean I'm 70 but I mean I can tell you I mean I've had a stroke I've lost an eye I've had one hip replace the other one's killing me I got to go get that thing done I've had I've had lung surgery had a lung removed you know I've got right they're looking at having to replace my knees this getting old stuff it's just not not that cool fortunately I still look great you know but that's my main asset dine it down to is that funny that wasn't funny I don't tell me I don't look great then I got nothing but I mean we look there and we realize but I'll tell you what I do have I've got three sons and I've got three daughter laws I've got three or twelve grandchildren and two weeks ago I had my first great-grandchild and I'm sitting there looking there and that's why I'm alive and if it's not for my grandchildren it's for yours and others I mean I already know where the land is I already know where heaven is I'm not concerned about any of that stuff for me it's saddled and done long ago but you look I mean I to me I get what like with Paul Paul in the New Testament he tells an actor and second Corinthians 12 on this experience where he whether he died or not he was never sure but in this point of experiencing what he thought was death he was taken up into the third heaven and he beheld things there there is that he that as he looked at them he says they're unspeakable words I couldn't utter lest I should to be exalted about measure through the abundance of revelation from that point on Paul was ruined for this life in a sense and he went on to write he says I am now in a straight betwixt the two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better and and and he says but nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you and having this confidence I know that I shall abide and continue with you for your furtherance enjoy and faith in other words Paul says I'm ruined that death experience and see what I saw that I'm not even allowed to tell you about I can't even utter the words can you imagine I can't told me not to but she's why I want to go really bad and he says but to be with you is better that's why I'm now still breathing every day it's why I get up it's why I'm motivated there's no other reason you know Paul there I die I don't want to retire I don't I don't want little island someplace given to me I don't I don't want any that's there's a home and glory laid out for me that I'll shine the sun what I've seen there it is I'm ruined by it but when we look there and realize that's why we live and and otherwise you know sadly if we're here for our own satisfaction fulfillment we're like if you maybe some of you ever saw the movie of the play fiddler on the roof there's this Jewish man they're trying to raise his family you know Tevias his name and he's going through the pressures of raising his children and and and he'd be all wrapped up in the tensions in the struggles of daily things and then he would drift off into this kind of a little dream world and sing if I were a rich man that I did that's my that's my singing for you but you know in all of this you know and he had this song that he was saying thinking about being rich and he's in it and he says dear God you made many many poor people and I realized of course it's no shame to be poor but it's no great honor either so what would it be so terrible if I had a small fortune oh I'd build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen right in the middle of town and a fine tin roof with real wooden floors below and there would be one long staircase just going up one even longer coming down and one leading nowhere and just before show and then he said I see my wife Goldie looking like a rich man's wife with a proper double chin I don't want to go there ladies we never thought babies hey I'm a rich man's wife look at my chin but anyway don't go there but so many people in this world we just if I were rich man they sing that song every day they're wrapped up in some earthly thing that confines them that keeps them down that keeps them earthbound and if you're not only that you're a distraction to others instead of being an attraction to heaven the people look at you and wonder is this old age is this what it's all about is this with maturity is this what life is all about is there nothing greater I saw them tearing a building down a gang of men in a dusty town with a yo heave ho in a yes a lusty yell they swung the beam in the sidewall fell I asked the foreman if these were men that he that were as skilled as the men he'd hire if he were to build he laughed and said oh no indeed common labors all I need for those men can reckon a day or two what builders had taken years to do I asked myself when I walked away what kind of role am I to play am I the builder who builds with care measuring life with rule in square or am I the wrecker who walks the town content with the role of tearing down and you know you and I when why am I here what am I doing God why did you make me teacher one day is asked the students he held up a watch he says what's it for and the children answer will to tell time and they says well suppose my watch doesn't tell time what's it good for well nothing sir then I took a pencil I held up the pencil I said what's it for and they said well to write with sir suppose the pencil won't make a mark what is the pencil good for they said what's good for nothing sir then the teacher asked what is the chief end of man they replied to glorify God suppose a man doesn't glorify God what is he good for and you know when we look there and realize God why do I exist why is I exist John Wesley once said do all the good you can by all the means you can in all the ways you can and all the places you can at all the times you can to all the people you can as long as you can what are we here for I remember many years ago now my boys were young and they came out with the very first Superman movie and if you remember that it was the first one where the technology on it were you on the screen these things really genuinely looked real Superman really flew you know and this thing where I grew up watching Superman on TV where it you know any three-year-old no he's not flying I mean they'd have him he's laying on a sheet of glass or something and they had a fan they're going or whatever and and the mood in you know noise behind you know something is there Superman is flying somewhere but you got the point he's he's on a trip but at any rate so but when the real one came out he really flew I mean it was something that you just sold look at this it was incredible watch it and but if you remember the movie the way it started is there's young Clark he's like he's in high school and he's the equipment manager for the football team and so the opening scene is he's out there and the football players are just coming in at the end of practice the guys there and all the athletes or whatever the cool guys and then there was the girls who were the L leaders and the palm-mum girls or whatever they're all coming over and they're all ra ra ra packing up and having their little social networking time or whatever and then here Clark is just over there the equipment manager kind of starting to clean up after everybody and so they're all chatting and they jump in a car in a convertible and they go driving off the gals and the girls and Clark is left there to clean up and he's upset and he just goes over and there's a football he just he kicks the football and the ball goes to China it just boom you know it's just off it is and then you watch Clark as it's just a blur on the screen as it goes around the field everything cleans it all up in a second you know all the stuff is put away the permits put away it's all done and then the next you know he's running home and on the way home he passes up a locomotive runs past it you know faster than a locomotive or stronger than a locomotive faster than a speeding bullet well here he is then next you know next scene there there he is leading up against the mailbox at his house it is kind of at the end of a little dirt road the convertible comes driving by with the football players and the girls in it and they come driving by there's a little Clark cleaning up against as well and it's the Clark we just left you packed there I how did you get here so fast I mean this is you know and and he just money says oh I ran in this that Clark is so funny well how did he do that they drive on well his earthly father sees all this he's walking down to me says son what's wrong he says dad why won't you let me play football why won't you let me I could score every time his dad looks at me says son I don't know why but you are not here to play football and you know I think you know we so easily we we find a game we can play in this life and succeed at and oftentimes that's our glory that's our vision as Christians it overtakes us and then stumbles us and others and God wanted he put us in the world he says you're to abide he threw man out of the garden as you're gonna work by the sweat of your brow the earth is gonna bring four thorns and thistles you're gonna work it you're gonna till it it's not your glory it's just your job your glory is your life and God and when we look there and say God that's why I'm alive today when you ask yourself is this my glory if I have I come before God and said show me thy glory you ruined Moses ruin me you're ruined Elijah you ruined David you ruined these characters for this world you ruined but you gave him an eternal life so far beyond anything you may be 80 years old and sitting here for us to old sorry you're not too old to see his glory and when you let that happen and then if you something happens you'll never be the same it'll alter all of the things you see and you hear and you wonder about it'll be the glasses through which you will look and see life but today maybe some of us need to say Lord show me thy glory show me the life I I'm looking for an earthly crown I'm looking for you know an earthly reward I'm so easily deceived just by the momentary bequeath glad and glory that is going to be stripped from all men when they would stand naked before you all things are open and I to the eye before him who the Lord himself whom we have to do Lord show me thy glory now take my life and use it for your glory there's a woman named right Ruth Paxton one of her books she said there's a man in the glory the glory for me my life in the glory the glory must be amen