April 26, 2015
West Side Church -- Pastor Ralph Kieneker
Wrestling with God
Moses:
Standing in the Gap
SERMON NOTES AND LIFE GROUP QUESTIONS
Exodus 32:7–14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of
Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded
them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it
and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of
Egypt.’
9 “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people.
10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.
Then I will make you into a great nation.”
11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger
burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty
hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill
them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce
anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham,
Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them,
and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” 14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his
people the disaster he had threatened.
Notes:
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April 26, 2015
West Side Church -- Pastor Ralph Kieneker
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you think our prayers really make a difference?
2. How would you respond to the following objection:
Why or why not?
I don’t think it all likely that God
requires the ill-informed (and contradictory) advice of us humans as to how to run the
world.
If He is all wise, as you say He is, doesn’t He know already what is best?
if He is all-good won’t He do it whether we pray or not?
And
3. Do tend to find arguing with God in prayer to be quite natural like Moses or does it feel
more sacrilegious to you to argue with all-knowing, all-wise Creator of the universe?
4. When you read Exodus 32:7-14, what stands out to you from this passage?
5. Do you think the fact that God relented and changed his mind proves that our prayers
matter, why or why not?
6. How would you explain to a non-Christian that God is unchanging and yet can change his
mind because of the prayers of his people?
7. It was suggested in the sermon that one of the things to learn from Moses is that when
we pray and intercede we should turn our minds “on” and present reasoned arguments
based upon God’s revelation in asking God to do the good we want Him to do.
do you see as possible benefits of this advice?
8. How does our faith and obedience add potency to our prayers?
righteous avail much when petitioning God?
What
Why do the prayer of a
9. What good thing has God placed before you than he wants you to intercede and wrestle
with Him about?
10. How did God most clearly speak to you through this message on Moses example of
wrestling with God in prayer?
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