Evangelist Rich Tozour preaches the Wednesday evening servie of the 2020 Winter Revival. Text: Exodus 32:7-14 - "7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. 11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." Intro: The people of Israel and Moses brother Aaron makes a golden idol because they became impatient waiting on Moses, This angers God and He sends Moses down from the mountain to the people of Israel. God refers to them as a stiffnecked people and God was ready to make His wrath wax hot against the people and then start over with Moses. Moses then besought God because he was interested in Gods ambition and not his own. Moses intercedes for the people. Keys to Answered Prayer: (1). Abandonment of Selfish Pursuit. James 4;1-3 - "4 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Why do prayers go unanswered - (a) sin (Proverbs 28:9). (b) silence - we have to have quiet time with God daily and discipline ourselves to spend time with God and pray (Acts 6:4) - sometimes we think about things without asking God but do not pray to God, (c) selfishness - God sometimes says no because we are selfish in our prayers. Moses does not have any selfish ambitions here in our text. He does not take credit for leading the people from Egypt and he is not selfish in wanting God to start over with him. (2). Acknowledgement of Gods Power and Greatness (v11). Illustration: Sarah and Abraham. Jeremiah 32:17; Nothing is too hard for God. -Matthew 19:26. Pslam 100 - Illustration: The temple, Holiest of Holy's; Thanksgiving (Thanking Him for what He has done vs Praise (Exhaulting God for who He is). There is something powerful about praise. Too often we thank God then launch into asking God for things, remember to Praise Him! (3). Advancement of God's Glory (v12). Isaiah 43:7. You were made to glorify God. Egypts viewed gods as cruel, Moses did not want God's people to view Him that way. Moses was looking for Gods cause to be made large in the eyes of men. Illustration: Paul - Paul wanted God glorified through him. God is good no matter the circumstances. (4). Appeal to God's Promises (v13). God had made promises to Moses forefathers. Moses reminds God of the promise He made to His people. God wants to know you have not forgotten His promises because God has not forgetten them. (5). Acquisition of Prayers Goal (v14). Repent regarding God is talking about Him (God) changing His dealings with regards to His people. Illustration: Jonah. God does not repent of wrongdoing because God has no wrongdoing. God allows men opportunity to be spared if they accept what He has said. Illustration: John R. Rice, daughters buying shoes. One of our greatests sins when it comes to prayer is that we do not ask enough. One concern of the devil is to keep christians from prayer. The devil fears nothing from prayerless christians. Prayer changes things. A day without prayer is a boast against God - every day you go without prayer you are saying you can handle things without God. Illustration - God's answers to prayer: (1) No, (2) Grow, (3) Slow (pray without ceasing), (4) Go. Pray Big prayers to a Big God looking for Big answers.