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The Mountain Top Experience

Key Verse: Matthew 17:1-9, 14-21

There is something awe-inspiring about mountain tops. Mountains, all throughout the Bible and throughout history, are these pinnacles of human experience. Think about Ezekiel 28 where it talks about Eden being the mountain of God, and think about Sinai, the Holy mountain where the Ten Commandments were given. Think about the mountains made by man, the Pyramids in Egypt, and then the mountain ranges of the world.  There is something magical and mystical about mountains that draw us to them.

Matthew 17:1–3 (ESV)

It is interesting that Jesus brings His disciples to a mountain top to show them His glory.  It points to reality of the human heart.  The human heart desires the glory of God and we will seek for it in almost anything.  We will seek for it in our fame, fortune, family, future, and even our reputation. But we are made for the glory of God.

Isaiah 43:7 (ESV)

The quest to the top of the mountain is almost a religious quest in man’s heart to achieve some-kind of glory for ourselves.  But we are the ones that God came down to bring up to show his glory and to reveal his glory to us so that we can know him, experience him, and live for his glory not just in the mountains but down in the valleys where the people need the glory of God.

 1. We are made for the MOUNTAIN to RECEIVE the GOODNESS of GOD.

 His goodness is the vision for life, the future, to be saved and know we are in Him and safe in Christ. His goodness is that we will be at home, one day, in the mountain of God. The heavenly glory, forever.

 Matthew 16:24–26 (ESV)

No matter what we lose for the sake of Christ, we gain something more glorious than this world can ever offer us.  This why we give, serve, and put our hands to the plough in mission and work for the Lord because we know He is going to give us all that we need and way more than we will ever expect.

Q. In what ways has serving God helped you see his glory?

2. The MOUNTAIN of GOD is a PLACE of SILENCE and SEPARATION from the WORLD.

 Jesus separated Peter, James, and John from the rest of the disciples and the crowds to get their attention and talk directly to them.

Matthew 17:5-8 (ESV)He silences Peter because on the mountain top is where we discover who God is, where we listen.

Q. What physical mountain tops have been atop and what was the experience like for you(did God speak to you, did he get your attention something etc.)?

Note: The Incas built their fortress on the top of a mountain one level at a time. Stacking one progressive layer on top of another until they achieved some semblance of safety and security or validation. We, Americans, do the same thing today trying to make a name for ourselves that people will remember.  Without Christ it just becomes an empty monument to look back on.  Much like Machu Picchu, many people are trying to build their names and reputations on fleeting pursuits that never fulfill and never satisfy.

Q. What are some things you have pursued that you expected to fulfill you but only came up empty?

TRUTH: The REASON for the MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE is so we can BRING HIS GOODNESS to the VALLEYS.

 Q. What are some ways the people of Peru are experiencing God’s goodness through Let Love International? 

 After the mountain top experience, they came down from the mountain and Jesus was telling them how he was going to be betrayed.  They did not understand what Jesus talking about they thought He was going to conquer the world.  But Jesus says no I come to lay down my life for you.  This is why we lay down all that we have for Him.  After this, there is a man with a demon possessed son and the other nine disciples are powerless to cast it out.

Matthew 17:14-15

 3. Our MOUNTAIN TOP experiences SHAPE us and EMPOWER us to make a DIFFERENCE in the VALLEYS of the WORLD.

 Yes, we are made for the mountain top experience, to receive the goodness of God, to hear His voice, to be separated for His purposes but this third point is the most important reason. Could the Church today be powerless because we don’t go to the mountain enough, we don’t listen God enough, we don’t stop and separate from the world enough?  If we do that, if we just say “Lord I am yours, here I am, speak to me, empower me”, we would be empowered for those valleys, for those demons we need to chase out, for those challenges that everyone of us is facing.  We are the Church, we are here for the world. The world is not for us but we are here for the world to change it, transform it, and most importantly to bring Jesus to it.

Christianity is not trying to be a good person, nor trying to serve that purpose of trying to feel good about ourselves.  Christianity is this: Jesus, brings us up out of our sins and out of our death in sin, and out of our grave (spiritual grave) and then He speaks to us and separates us from the world just like He did with Peter, James, and John in Matthew 17.  Then He shows us Himself, he shows us His glory, but, all that so we can go down into the valleys and reach people with the glory of God, with the goodness of God that He has shown to us.

Q. What are some ways you desire to make a difference in this world (whether it be local or abroad)?

Sermon in a sentence:

Jesus LIFTED us UP so we can LIFT OTHERS up as well.

Challenge: spend some time alone with God and experience His goodness.  Ask God to speak to you and show you things about Him you never saw before.