Redemption Church – RedemptionPlano.comWelcome to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. We are a church that seeks to Love God, Grow faith, Serve others, and Go change the world. We are glad to have you join us today.Today I expected and planned to start a new vision series for our Church. I am excited about this series and look forward to starting it next week. This week however as I was reading scripture I was very surprised by what I read.I am pretty sure that God rewrote the scripture this week, because I read something that I never remember reading before.  Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever read your Bible and been blown away by something it shows you?I invite you to turn with me in your Bible to Exodus 20 where we will begin reading at verse 18.Israel had crossed the Red Sea. They were free from the bondage of Israel.42 days later they arrived at Mount Sinai, and they consecrated themselves for 3 days. God had told Moses that on the 3rd day God would appear before them on the mountain.God gave specific instruction not to approach the mountain before this 3rd day, but that after the sound of the blowing of a ram’s horn/trumpet could the people approach the Lord upon the mountain. (Genesis 19:10-13)With this as our context let us read Exodus 20:18.Exodus 20:18-21 (NIV) 18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.I want to entitle this message “The Thick Darkness where God was.”The Thick Darkness where God wasI found Exodus 20:21 very surprising. This is the verse I am almost certain God recently added to my Bible.Scripture speaks often about Light & Darkness.-In creation the universe was dark until God said “let there be light.”-In Egypt one of the plagues was a “darkness that can be felt.” The darkness covered all the land of Egypt except for the small area called Goshen, where the Jews lived. That area remained in the light.-In the Tabernacle’s Holy of Holies there are no windows or man made sources of light, yet the Glory of the Lord gives light to the Holy of Holies.-John 1 tells us about the Word who is the light of all mankind. This Jesus is the light that has shined in into the darkness. (John 1:4-5)-We are told in scripture that we were once in darkness but are now to be children of light (Ephesians 5:8)-He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)-We are told to walk in the light as He is in the light. (1 John 1:7)-We are given this defining Truth that our God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)Scripture throughout gives us a picture of God and the people of God pushing back the darkness, and yet Exodus 20:21 gives us a very different picture.21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.I have 3 points I want you to learn from this 1 verse today.Sometimes God would have you walk into dark situations.One chapter earlier, in Exodus 19 God tells Moses that He is going to come to Moses in a dense dark cloud. The darkness was a part of God’s plan.When we experience darkness we often believe that something must be wrong. As we experience darkness we think that God’s plan must not be working and that it must be our fault.When we look at this dark world we wonder why isn’t God’s light doing a better job at pushing back the darkness.Set those thoughts to the side for a moment and consider that God may have prepared some darkness for you.Why would God prepare darkness for us who are trying to walk in the light?Lesson