The Love of God

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This sermon takes a look at the most familiar text in the Bible, John 3:16 and attempts to provide important facts about God’s love based on the text.

Written Excerpts:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Introduction:

John 3:16 is considered the most well-known verse in the Bible and probably the most quoted verse. I have quoted this verse dozens of times in sermons and referred to it repeatedly for the description of love we find in it. However, it has occurred to me that I have never actually used it as a sermon text and preached a message based on this verse.

Back in the month of January I attended a pastor’s seminar with my brother in South Carolina. The guest speaker for that gathering was a seminary professor by the name of Dr. Joseph R. Dongell. His topic for the two days was the topic of “love.” He presented a thorough study on the ministry of John Wesley in 18^th century England and how it emphasized the principle of love for God and love for our fellowman. 

On the first day he shared several insights and principles from John 3:16 that I would like to use as the basis for the message today. I want to begin by telling you a brief story.

Many of you have probably heard of a well-known evangelist and preacher in the 1800’s by the name of Dwight L. Moody. Moody was one of the most successful evangelists in American history. Dwight Moody was already very successful in winning people to Christ and building Sunday schools in the city of Chicago. In 1867 he took a trip to Great Britain to learn how Christian ministry was conducted in that country. He was given several opportunities to speak as well. During this trip he heard messages that challenged his heart to seek a deeper knowledge of Christ. Then after returning back to Chicago, he had the opportunity to have an English preacher by the name of Henry Moorhouse come to preach at his church in Chicago.

[One biographer reported this description.] For seven nights Moorhouse preached from John 3:16…. Moody's heart was melted within him as he listened to the young preacher describing the love of God for lost mankind. It gave him such a vision of the love of God as he had never seen before, and from that time forward Moody's preaching was of a more deeply spiritual character. (http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody4.html)

There were undoubtedly other significant influences in the life of the great evangelist, but listening to a week of messages on John 3:16 apparently was one of the prominent inspirations in the life of D. L. Moody.

Let’s take a look at this inspiring message from the Apostle John.

I.      The Identity of the Lover

God is identified as the one who has such infinite love for the world.

May not be aware, but among some Christians and some churches their teaching implies a division in the Trinity. That is, the idea that God (the God of the OT) is a God of justice, judgment and wrath, but the God revealed in the NT, especially in the person of Jesus Christ, is a God of love, grace and mercy.

Deut. 6:4 tells us that “The Lord is one…” There is complete and perfect unity in the Trinity.

OT verses that emphasize the love of God:

Lev. 19:18 – “… you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” These are the words of God. Yes, they were quoted by Jesus in the NT as part of the “greatest commandments” but He’s just repeating what God revealed to Moses in the OT.

Remember, just last Sunday I spoke from the book of Jonah and related how that Jonah was upset because God didn’t destroy Nineveh.

Jonah 4:2 ^(NKJV) … I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.

Exodus 34:6-7 ^(NKJV) And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷ keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation."

The Hebrew word that is translated as “goodness” in this passage is the word “hesed.”

The word “hesed” appears 248 times in the OT and is most frequently translated by the word “mercy” (149 times) and then by the words, “kindness,”  “lovingkindness,” “goodness” and a few others.

 (Dr. John Oswalt) [God] always does hesed (there is no cognate [equivalent] for this word in other Semitic languages). No single word can adequately translate this word. It is the passionate, undying devotion of a superior to an inferior, especially when undeserved. (Exodus 34:6-7) the most quoted passage of the OT in the NT.

Other sources indicate that the word often implies some sort of relationship such as a covenant, but it is also exercised with freedom (i.e. it is not given purely out of obligation). (See entry # 698 in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 ^(NKJV) For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Psalm 36:7 ^(NKJV) How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

Psalm 86:15 ^(NKJV) But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

All these OT verses reinforce what we read in 1 John 4:16 … God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

God the Father is clearly the identity of the one who loves the world so much. Oh, how grateful I am for the love of God!

II.    The Identity of the World

World – all people, including enemies.

Romans 5:8 ^(NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Dongell – In John’s theology, the world is not just “all people” but it is all those in opposition or hostile toward God. (cf. Rom. 5:10 where Paul says when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of His Son.)

Jesus also puts the “target” in terms we can relate to when he quotes OT text: “Love your neighbor…”

I constantly need to remind myself that any person that seems so repulsive and unworthy of affection is a person who is still the object of God’s love.

III.   The Nature of the Sacrifice.

God gave His “only begotten” Son.

Tyndale Commentary states that this phrase in its original language gives the idea of “His one and only Son.” The Greek word used indicates “uniqueness” not “begotten-ness” or relationship.

Dr. Dongell stressed it like this, “God only has one Son. God is impoverished when it comes to sons.” That is, God didn’t send ONE of His sons into the world, but He sent the ONLY Son He had.

Psalm 50:10-11 ^(NKJV) For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

Whether you talk about animals, precious metals, or any other commodity, God is infinitely wealthy. But God only has one Son. And, that is who He sent into this world to be the sacrifice for you and for me.

“He gave” – (Dongell) The Son was not sent into the world on a “temporary mission trip.” He was sent on a mission to permanently identify with humanity. In fact, Jesus did not surrender His humanity when He ascended back to the father. He ascended as he lived here – fully God and fully human.

“For” God so loved… The nature of the sacrifice is also indicated in the very first word in the verse.

This conjunction connects v. 16 with vv. 14&15 and it makes a logical connection to the "lifting up of the serpent” analogy. Moses lifted up the serpent and God “lifted up” His Son.

(Tyndale Commentaries) The verb ‘to lift up’ (hypsoō) is used five times in the Fourth Gospel (3:14 [2x]; 8:28; 12:32, 34), and in every case it is used as an allusion to Jesus’ crucifixion. As the lifting up of the snake in the desert was God’s provision for salvation from physical death for rebellious Israelites, so too the lifting up of the Son of Man (his crucifixion) will be God’s provision for salvation from eternal death for people from all nations…

IV.   The Nature of the Belief

The nature of the belief is indicated in the tense of the verb “believeth.” The tense of the verb is a present participle, indicating an ongoing action. What does it mean? It means that Jesus is talking about an ongoing pervasive way of life rather than a moment of faith at some point in time.

He is not saying, “whoever believes that…” but, “whoever is trusting in.”

I’ve talked to a number of people who indicate by their words that they think they’re in a relationship with God simply because there was a point in their life many years ago when they believed the gospel and therefore, they have eternal life. The question is, are you continually trusting in Christ and demonstrating that trust by your conduct?

V.    The Nature of the Life

“eternal life” (everlasting life) – not simply unending life, although that is included. The souls who end up in hell also have unending life, but not “eternal” life. Eternal life means life with heavenly quality.

John 10:10 – I am come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly. (Not mere existence but the quality of heaven included.) No matter how abundant life is down here, it will never compare with the life “up there.”

Romans 8:18 ^(NKJV) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

However, I’m thankful that we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven in order to experience heavenly life in our souls. It truly is a blessing to have the abiding presence of God’s Spirit in our lives so that no matter how difficult things may be at times, we can occasionally feel the heavenly touch of God’s Spirit and sense His presence in ways we cannot describe.

Eternal life also means the opposite of “perish.”

Conclusion:

In light of God’s love for us and what His love provided, the only adequate response we can give is to love Him supremely, i.e. above everything / everyone else.

Let’s end the service today by singing the hymn: More Love to Thee

Fleeing, Coming and Going

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This sermon takes a look at three passages of Scripture (one in Jonah and two in Isaiah) as they reveal the responses of three different individuals to God’s agenda and mission of reaching the lost, and applies those observations to the lives of believers today.

Written Excerpts:

Jonah 1:3 ^(NKJV) But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Isaiah 53:5 ^(NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 6:8 ^(NKJV) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

Introduction:

The inspiration for the message today came from some comments that were in the video messages that our men’s Bible study group watched this week.

The three passages of Scripture (1 in Jonah and 2 in Isaiah) illustrate responses of three different individuals to God’s purposes of reaching the lost. For a brief time today I want to draw from these three examples in order to give us a sense of God’s will for humanity and how we might fit into that plan.

So, to start off, I want to state something that should be obvious to all of us already: God loves people and wants everyone to be in a relationship with Him.

2 Peter 3:9 ^(NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Let me just pause right here to ask you, “Do you really believe that it is not God’s will for anyone to perish?” Do I really believe that God’s will is for all to come to repentance? If we really believe that verse is the absolute truth, how should it affect our lives?

Is there any way in which our lives do not communicate our agreement with the fact that God is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance?

I.    Jonah exemplifies those who flee from God’s call.

(Expositor's Bible Commentary) Jonah is commissioned because the wickedness of Nineveh has come to the Lord’s attention. This development does not imply that the Lord was previously unaware of that great city’s depravity; rather, the situation there so degenerated that his patience has become overshadowed by the mandate of justice. In this way, the case of Nineveh is similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ge 18-19).

Jonah does not want to obey the instructions given to him, so he takes steps to avoid [the mission]…. Jonah does not necessarily think that distance will put him out of range of the Lord’s reach … he may have thought his flight [would] simply result in the Lord finding someone else for the job.

Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria who was the enemy of Israel. Although there was no conflict presently going on between the two nations, it still would be viewed as an enemy.

Why didn’t Jonah want to go to Nineveh?

(Coffman Commentaries) (1) Jonah doubtless knew of the sadistic cruelty of the hated Assyrians, and he could not have failed to confront an element of physical fear of what might befall him in a place like Nineveh….

(2) National prejudice certainly entered into it, because no true Israelite could imagine such a thing as preaching to Gentiles….

(3) The reason given by Jonah himself (Jonah 4:3) was that he feared that Nineveh might repent and that God, after his usual gracious manner, would spare them and refrain from destroying their city. As to why such an eventuality was so distasteful to Jonah, there are two conjectures: (a) … the prospect of his becoming widely known as a prophet whose words did not come to pass. (b) … deep love he had for his own nation, "fearing lest the conversion of the Gentiles should infringe upon the privileges of Israel, and put an end to its election as the nation of God."

Jonah 4:2 ^(NKJV) So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.

Jonah admits that he was fleeing because he did not like the prospects of God forgiving the sins of a city (nation) who, in His mind, deserved the judgments of God.

Who have we purposely avoided reaching out to with the message of God’s love and salvation simply because we felt they deserved God’s judgment rather than His mercy?

II.  Jesus exemplifies the perfect response to the call.

The next person I want to focus on is described for us in the 53^rd chapter of Isaiah. We know that this passage is referring to the Son of God who left the glory He shared with the Father in order to come into our world to redeem us.

Philippians 2:6-7 ^(NKJV) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Hebrews 10:9a ^(NKJV) then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God."

Think of every possible reason that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh and Jesus is the exact opposite of that. The drastic contrasts between His home in glory and His “mission field” on earth can never be duplicated in the same degree, only to some fraction of degree. Depravity; enemies; deserving of judgment …

We see Jesus, not like Jonah as the one who is fleeing from God’s call, but One who is coming to fulfill God’s call (mission).

Jesus came to earth to do more than provide an example for us, but He did provide the example as well. I thank God for those who followed the example of Jesus and came to our ancestors and forefathers with the message of saving grace.

Not only is Jesus the one who comes to fulfill God’s mission, but everyone one of us is here today because someone obeyed God’s call and came to us with the message we needed about Christ.

III.  Isaiah exemplifies the willing response to the call.

The third person we want to focus on is also described in the book of Isaiah – the prophet Isaiah himself.

If Jonah represents the one who flees and Jesus represents the one who comes, then Isaiah represents the one who goes.

Isaiah 6:8 ^(NKJV) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

Isaiah’s ministry occurs approximately 15-30 years after Jonah’s ministry. Isaiah was called to his own people, but he was also called to give proclaim God’s Word regarding many of the other nations of the world.

Isaiah’s call and response occurs following a vivid revelation of God and his holiness. A genuine encounter with God causes us to unite with Him in the things He desires – and that most certainly includes the salvation of the lost. When we get to know God better and better, I believe we will want to advance His mission or agenda more and more.

Conclusion:

I stated earlier that every one of us who knows the Lord today knows Him because God sent someone to evangelize the person who led us to Christ, and to every other person up the long chain of people before them.

God loves people who may be our enemies.

God loves people who are unlovable.

You and I have God-given roles we can fill in reaching the people God wants to reach.

Let us close the service today by singing the hymn

I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go    

Delivered from Egypt

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This is a sermon offered in relation to July 4th Independence Day that considers a few questions about Israel's deliverance from Egypt as related in Psalm 78 and then attempts to make some appropriate spiritual applications for us in our individual walks of faith.

Written excerpts:


Psalm 78:7 ^(NKJV) That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments.

Introduction:

This week we are commemorating the birth of our nation and our independence from tyranny. I thought it would be appropriate to share a couple bits of humor related to the holiday before going into the message.

Nicholas took his four-year-old son, Bryan, to several baseball games where "The Star-Spangled Banner" was sung before the start of each game.

Later, Nicholas and Bryan attended St Bartholomew's church on the Sunday before Independence Day.  The congregation sang The Star-Spangled Banner, and after everyone sat down, Bryan suddenly yelled out at the top of his voice, 'Play ball.' 

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” - Erma Bombeck (http://www.fourth-of-july-celebrations.com/4th-of-july-jokes.html)

When I began to consider the topic of freedom and liberty for the sermon today, I soon began to think about the deliverance that God gave to the people of Israel as He brought them out of slavery and bondage in Egypt. Psalm 78 is a brief review of God’s miraculous deliverance and is a good spiritual application of the theme that we can still benefit from today.

With the help of God’s Spirit, I want to suggest a few questions and answers about the deliverance from Egypt and then attempt to make some appropriate spiritual applications for us in our individual walks of faith.

I.    Why did God deliver the people of Israel?

A. Because of covenant promises.

Exodus 2:24-25 ^(NKJV) So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

Exodus 6:3-5 ^(NKJV) I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.

The people of Israel were not delivered because they were so special. They were delivered because of a covenant that God had established with their ancestors – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even those men were not so different or special, they were recipients of God’s wonderful grace.

Application: Every one of us are also recipients of God’s grace and God’s covenant promises.

If you have experienced the divine deliverance from sin and all of its bondage, it wasn’t because you’re someone great or someone special. It was because God’s grace is so great and special! My deliverance and your deliverance is because of a promise or covenant that was established way back in Genesis 3 – God will provide a remedy for the fall of man into sin and all of the resulting destruction sin caused. That initial prophecy, promise or covenant has been repeated in various forms throughout biblical history and God kept His Word by sending His only Son into our world to die for our redemption.

B. Because of His compassion.

Exodus 3:7-8a ^(NKJV) And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians….

The word “compassion” is not used in these verses, but the principle is implied. God’s heart was moved because of the suffering of His people.

In Ps. 78 we are reminded that it was the compassion of God that moved Him to continue working with them and taking them to the Promised Land rather than completely destroying them and wiping them out.

Psalm 78:38 ^(NKJV) But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;

Application: Over and over we are told in Scripture that the love of God is what prompted the plan of salvation that He completed.

Our sinful condition made us the most unlovable people, but God still loved us and sacrificed His own Son for us. See Rom. 5:8 “God commendeth His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

II.  What are the lessons it communicates?

As we take a brief look at Psalm 78 I believe we can see that the psalmist, Asaph wanted the people of Israel to understand some important lessons from this great historical event. In fact, the author explicitly states that in the opening verses of the psalm.

A. God’s power

One of the vivid lessons expressed in the Psalm is the power of God. Every one of the miracles described give us a glimpse of God’s infinite power and ability. See Ps. 78 verses 13, 15, 23-24, 27, 43-48, 53, 55, etc.

Over and over when the situation seemed hopeless, God performed another miracle to display His divine power and to overcome the attempts of their enemies to destroy them.

B. God’s faithfulness

Another lesson that is highlighted in Psalm 78 is the unusual faithfulness of God.

Asaph describes many opportunities for God to give up on the Israelites and just abandon them because of their repeated resistance, but God remains faithful to His own promise to bring them out of Egyptian bondage in order to establish them in their own land. See Ps. 78 verses 37-39

Yes, there are several places in the psalm where the author talks about the wrath of God and the punishment He brought upon them when they blatantly disobeyed His commands, but He doesn’t turn completely away from Israel.

God’s faithfulness is ultimately revealed at the end of the Psalm when it describes God’s choosing David to become the king of Israel, who then “shepherds” the people of God.

C. Man’s unfaithfulness

One of the lessons we can learn from this psalm is the unfaithful nature in man. Look at Ps. 78 verses  9-11, 17-19, 22, 32, 36-37, & 56-58. In all these verses, the people of God are repeatedly described as those who readily forgot what God had done for them and what God expected of them. It is a reminder that their obedience and commitment to carefully follow the Lord is expected and if they do not, then there are going to be consequences.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, there are a few final points I would like to stress for our benefit.

1. Based on what God did for the people of Israel, I want to remind us that there is no bondage, addiction, or any other type of sin-baggage that God cannot deliver from. He may not choose to do it in a moment. He may use various people and circumstances. But God will faithfully bring you out of your Egypt and plant you in the Promised Land He has for you.

2. For the deliverance to be full, complete and final, you must allow God to not only “take you out of Egypt” but you must allow Him to “take Egypt out of you!” Just look at the many times in Ps. 78 that we read about the people complaining, resisting, and forsaking, all the while God is at work transplanting them from Egypt to Canaan. It stems from the fact that the things they learned in Egypt were still embedded in their hearts.

Full and complete deliverance also depends on gratitude and obedience for what God has already done. Throughout the story related in the Psalm there are points where the resistance of the people is recorded and God’s dealings with them in judgment.

3. God wants to use your story to impact your sphere of influence. (See Ps. 78:4-7, especially 7)

Happy Independence Day!

Let’s close by standing and singing Glorious Freedom

Hiding from God

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This sermon speaks about some examples in the Bible where people attempted to hide from God. It concludes by offering the alternative of hiding IN God.

Written Excerpts:

Genesis 3:8 ^(NKJV) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Revelation 6:15-17 ^(NKJV) And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

Introduction:

I think I may have shared this story before, but it aptly fits the theme of the message today.

A telemarketer called a home one day, and a small voice whispered, "Hello?"

"Hello! What's your name?"

Still whispering, the voice said, "Jimmy."

"How old are you, Jimmy?"

"I'm four."

"Good, is your mother home?"

"Yes, but she's busy."

"Okay, is your father home?"

"He's busy too."

"I see, who else is there?"

"The police."

"The police? May I speak with one of them?"

"They're busy."

"Any other grown-ups there?"

"The firemen."

"May I speak with a fireman, please?"

"They're all busy."

"Jimmy, all those people in your house, and I can't talk with any of them? What are they doing?"

"Looking for me," whispered Jimmy.

Hiding, whether in a game or as a prank, has been a longtime favorite activity for kids and even some adults. Sadly, there are plenty of people who think they can hide from God. The Scripture reading earlier gave one of the accounts in the Bible of humans attempting to hide from God. Interestingly, not only does the first book of the Bible have an account of attempted hiding, but the last book of the Bible gives a description also of humans trying to hide from God.

Several years ago I heard someone speak on this topic using the reference in Genesis and the one in Revelation. I made note of the references at that time and I felt impressed to use them for our consideration today.

In the message today I want to consider the reasons why people choose to hide from God, the methods people use to hide from God, and benefits of hiding from God.

I.          Why do people hide from God?

The passage in Gen. 3 describes Adam and Eve hearing the “voice” (sound) of God as He comes to commune with them in the “cool” (wind) of the day.

Guilt – Not only a feeling of guilt, but under the reality of guilt. They understood that they had violated the command of God.

Shame – They knew they were naked… Compare with 2:25 – “they were both naked… and were not ashamed.”

The word “naked” used in 2:25 is slightly different than the word used in 3:8. They have the same root word, but just enough different that some authors feel there is an extra implication of “spiritual nakedness” intended with the second word. Others have also used additional passages to show that the second term implies the assumption of punishment or judgment. 

Fear – Probably uncertain of the consequences. God had stated it would be death, but what did that mean to them? Death had not yet become a part of their human experience.

Fear is vividly portrayed in the Rev. 6:15-17 passage we referred to earlier.

All of these descriptions are brand new experiences for Adam and Eve. They had never known guilt, so consequently they had not experienced shame or fear.

There may be many reasons why people hide from God. But the important fact is that they mostly want to avoid exposure for what they’ve done or identifying who they are.

II.        How do people hide from God?

By man-made substitutes (e.g. clothes from fig leaves).

The fig leaves were not sewed together primarily to hide them, but to cover their nakedness which had become the source of their shame. In addition to sewing the leaves together, they tried to find a hiding place in the surrounding landscape.

By doing good deeds – The rich young ruler. (Lk. 18:18-23)

All of these things I’ve mentioned can be duplicated by the things we immerse ourselves into in order to “hide.” Or, to make us think we’re hiding. We hide out in all types of activities that keep us busy and occupied, so we don’t have to face up to our actions, or admit our true nature.

Men still try to hide from God by turning away from Bible reading, forsaking worship services, and by pretending to be so busy that they have no time for thoughts of God. Ahab tried to hide from God in the battle, but the arrow of God found him anyway. Jonah tried to flee from the "presence of Jehovah," but the eyes of the Lord were upon the wide seas, and God found him just the same.
(Coffman Commentary: Genesis: Vol. 1.)

Some people “hide” not only by staying away from church but some also “hide” by going to church.

III.       What are the benefits of hiding?

There are no benefits. Hiding does no good. No matter what our reasons or means, we must understand that God sees us and knows all about us.

Psalm 139:12 (NKJV) ¹²  Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Jeremiah 23:24 (NKJV) ²⁴  Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.

Amos 9:3 (NKJV) ³  And though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, From there I will search and take them; Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea, From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them;

The context of the passage we’ve noted in Rev. 6 indicates that attempting to hide from the face of God will not work.

In Genesis, if God already knew where they were, why did He ask? Some authors believe it illustrates the fact that God doesn’t drive anyone to come, but He draws us out with tender entreaties. He gets us to start back into the right place by getting us to admit where we are and why we’re there.

Conclusion:

Recommended Solution? Hiding in God.

So what do we do?

We need to be in the right relationship with Him so the guilt, shame and fear are gone.

God comes seeking us, not because He doesn’t already know where we are, but to draw us out of hiding to Himself.

God comes seeking us with love, forgiveness and a “clean slate.”

God replaces their inadequate clothes of leaves with coats of animal skins.

There is no place in Scripture where it elaborates on the obvious implications of this fact – an animal had to be killed to obtain the skins.

The slaying of the animal would have provided the first instance of bloodshed.

The word used for coats (coverings) of skins is very similar to the Hebrew word for atonement.

God has made an atonement for our sins through the sacrifice of His own Son, which completely removes our guilt and fear. When we seek and receive his forgiveness for our sins, and all the things we have tried to cover up, then we begin to discover that He actually becomes our hiding place, rather than One we hide from.

Psalm 17:8 (NKJV) ⁸  Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

Psalm 27:5 (NKJV) ⁵  For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

Psalm 32:7 (NKJV) ⁷  You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 119:114 (NKJV) ¹¹⁴  You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.

If there is anyone here today that has been hiding from God and hoping your sins and your attitudes won’t be exposed, I have bad news and good news for you. The bad news is that if you persist in that frame of mind long enough there will come a day when you will be exposed by the judgment of God. Jesus tells us that there is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed.

The good news is…

Jesus Christ, who already knows who you are and where you are, can provide total forgiveness and freedom from the guilt, shame and fear that torment you. If you will admit your need for His grace, seek His forgiveness, and surrender your life completely to Him, you will discover a new hiding place from all the torments, accusations, and harassment from the Devil.

For our closing hymn today I want to sing an invitation song in order to give an opportunity for anyone to come out of hiding and let Jesus clothe you with His righteousness and salvation.

Pass Me Not   

How Does One Worship - Part 2

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This is the fourth sermon in a series of messages on the topic of worship. This message discusses the theme of worshiping God with our words of praise and adoration, as well as our actions in obedience to His Word.

Written Excerpts:

Rom. 12:1-2 ^(NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Introduction:

We have been talking for a few weeks about the matter of worship. The Bible tells us that all of creation worships God and that is our primary purpose – to worship Him.

A.W. Tozer says that a piano may be used for lots of different things, but it was manufactured for only one purpose – to make music. Likewise we are designed for one primary purpose [worship].

Tozer – Sometimes evangelical Christians seem to be fuzzy and uncertain about the nature of God and His purposes in creation and redemption. In such instances, the preachers often are to blame. There are still preachers and teachers who say that Christ died so we would not drink and not smoke and not go to the theater.

No wonder people are confused! No wonder they fall into the habit of backsliding when such things are held up as the reason for salvation.

Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered under Pontius Pilate, died on the cross and rose from the grave to make worshipers out of rebels! (Whatever Happened to Worship?)

We have giving a series of messages on the topic of worship and most recently we were trying to answer the question, “How does one worship God?” or perhaps we could phrase it like this, “How should one worship God?”

Last week we talked about worshiping God “in spirit and in truth.”

Today I want to continue by proposing that we worship God with words and with obedience (conduct).

Last week’s emphasis was on inward qualities – spirituality and integrity.

This week’s emphasis is on outward actions – what we say and what we do.

The outward must be based upon the inward or it becomes a pretense and hypocrisy. But the outward must follow right along with the inward, or it’s nothing more than good intentions or wishful thinking.

III.           We worship with words

In the first sermon on worship that I gave a few weeks ago I attempted to define or describe the meaning of worship. After sharing some of the words that are used in scripture, I offered my own summary of what worship really is:

… it is a recognition of the worth/worthiness of the one being worshiped, and the unworthiness of the worshiper.

It is using culturally accepted means to express humility along with adoration, reverence and honor to the object of worship.

Probably one of the best ways to discover how we can use our words to worship the Lord is to search the Psalms in order to follow the example provided by King David and others.

Bless the Lord

Psalm 106:48 ^(NKJV) Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!

When we consider the various meanings of the word “bless” we conclude that to bless the Lord means we acknowledge with humility, gratitude and adoration that God possesses every benefit for success such as power, prosperity, fruitfulness and long life. We are acknowledging that He has freely bestowed these benefits on human beings who are weak, limited and unworthy.

To bless Him is to praise Him and to worship Him.

Praise the Lord

Psalm 148:1-5 ^(NKJV) Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.

 (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) [Praise] may be defined generally as an ascription of value or worth. … true praise consists in a sincere acknowledgment of a real conviction of worth.

When we worship the Lord with our words, we ascribe value and worth to God for who He is. We acknowledge His attributes and qualities and praise Him for each one.

Adore the Lord

Psalm 8:10 — Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) Adoration is intense admiration culminating in reverence and worship, together with the outward acts and attitudes which accompany such reverence…. Adoration is perhaps the highest type of worship, involving the reverent and rapt contemplation of the Divine perfections and prerogatives, the acknowledgment of them in words of praise, together with the visible symbols and postures that express the adoring attitude of the creature in the presence of his Creator.  

There actually are no Bible verses that use the word “adore.” The concept as defined here certainly is found in Scripture, but the word isn’t used.

Tozer – There's an awesomeness about God which is missing in our day altogether; there's little sense of admiring awe in the Church of Christ these days. (Worship: The Missing Jewel)

Tozer – Then there is admiration, that is, appreciation of the Excellency of God.... This admiration for God grows and grows until it fills the heart with wonder and delight. "In our astonished reverence we confess Thine uncreated loveliness," said the hymn writer. "In our astonished reverence." The God of the modern [Christian] rarely astonishes anybody. He manages to stay pretty much within the constitution. Never breaks over our bylaws. He's a very well-behaved God and … very much one of us, and we ask Him to help us when we're in trouble and look to Him to watch over us when we're asleep. The God of the modern [Christian] isn't a God I could have much respect for. But when the Holy Ghost shows us God as He is we admire Him to the point of wonder and delight. (Worship: The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church)

Shout Joyfully

Psalm 95:1-2 ^(NKJV) Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms. (KJV, “joyful noise”)

Extol/Exalt the Lord

Psalm 30:1 ^(NKJV) I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.

Psalm 99:5 ^(NKJV) Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool-- He is holy.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The Hebrew word most often translated "exalt," "exalted," is rum; "to lift up," "to be or become high."

It seems to express the idea of lifting up for prominent recognition the qualities that are worthy of being noticed and admired.

I’ve read a number of different passages in Psalms that say, “Bless the Lord,” “Praise the Lord,” “Shout joyfully to the Lord,” and “Exalt the Lord.” But what are to bless, praise, shout and exalt Him for? The same kind of things that the Psalmist did and the prophets did: His creative acts; His holiness; His loving kindness; His judgments…

So whether we are speaking in songs, in prayer, in testimonies or some other context we worship Him by using words to magnify and lift up His infinite perfections.

However, Sometimes we worship by not saying anything.

Habakkuk 2:20 ^(NKJV) But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him."

IV.           We worship with conduct, namely obedience

Psalm 40:6 ^(NKJV) Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

Proverbs 21:3 ^(NKJV) To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Jeremiah 7:22-23 ^(NKJV) For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.'

1 John 5:2-3 ^(NKJV) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Richard J. Foster – If worship does not change us, it has not been worship. To stand before the Holy One of eternity is to change. Worship begins in holy expectancy; it ends in holy obedience. (Draper's Book of Quotations)

Conclusion:

Since this is Father’s Day, I want to finish up the message by challenging all of us fathers to set the example for our families in worshiping God.

We need to make every effort to teach them and model for them what it means to worship God in spirit and in truth.

We need to model what it means to worship God with our words and our conduct.

As fathers, we need to teach them the importance of worshiping God by demonstrating its importance in our own lives.

How Does One Worship? - Part 1

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This is the third sermon in a series of messages on the topic of worship. This message begins to discuss some of the key descriptions of authentic worship.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 29:1-2 ^(NKJV) Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

John 4:23-24 ^(NKJV) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Introduction:

A few weeks ago I started a mini series of sermons on the topic of worship. I want to continue that theme today as we consider the important elements for how we should worship God.

I think I mentioned previously that I have subscribed to a daily email devotional which consists of the writings of A.W. Tozer (a former pastor and theologian in the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination). The quotations that were printed in today’s bulletin were taken from some of those emails. Here is another one that I received:

(A.W.Tozer) – … worship of the loving God is man's whole reason for existence. That is why we are born and that is why we are born again from above. That is why we were created and that is why we have been recreated. That is why there was a genesis at the beginning, and that is why there is a re-genesis, called regeneration.

That is also why there is a church. The Christian church exists to worship God first of all. Everything else must come second or third or fourth or fifth....

Some of you might be familiar with a very popular book that came out about 15 years ago written by Pastor Rick Warren. It was titled, The Purpose-Driven Life. In that book he states that our #1 purpose in life is to give God pleasure. (Rev. 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.) This is another way of saying that our #1 purpose is to worship God.

With the Lord’s help let us consider for a little while the question, “How should anyone worship God?” I think that there are numerous specific ways that we can worship God but there are a few general descriptions that I would like to focus on today.

There are at least four descriptions we must consider to worship God properly. We’re only going to discuss two of them today because of time constraints.

I.      In spirit (Jn. 4:24)

Three ways we can understand the use of the word, “spirit.”

My spirit

Rom. 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

That part of me that is capable of communicating with spiritual beings or the “spirit world.”

In contrast to the mountain, the temple, or any other object that this Samaritan woman might be fixated upon, worshiping in spirit emphasizes spiritual worship rather than material.

Worship in the OT did involve objects (sacrifices, tabernacle, incense, etc.) but the most important part of worship has always been communicating spiritually with God. 

The Holy Spirit

Rom. 8:13-16 ^(NKJV) For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

God’s spirit provides divine assistance for all we do, so He would especially motivate us and assist us to worship.

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would guide us into all truth. He would be our helper, our comforter, etc. We cannot do anything without the strength and direction the Spirit gives us, let alone worship the Lord!

Spirit (life)

Jn. 6:63 ^(NKJV) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

In this verse there is a close connection made between spirit and life. The word “spirit” literally means “breath” and it is the spirit of a person that gives life to the person.

If we want to describe a lively animal we sometimes say it is a “spirited horse,” or a “spirited dog”… So, I think that there is a sense in which worship in spirit means we worship with real life; not ritualistic, half-hearted, or merely formal.

We need to put our whole heart and soul into worshiping the sovereign Creator. He is worthy of our best.

II.    In truth (Jn. 4:24)

The second description we have concerning the way in which we need to worship God is provided by the word, “truth.”

One writer (Colin Kruse, Tyndale Commentary), indicates that this is speaking about the truth of God as made known by through the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus said God’s Word was truth. (Jn. 17:17) To worship God in spirit and in truth means our worship must be aligned with the Word of God in a manner that is worthy of God as He is revealed in Scripture.

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) Omit the spirit, and though you have the truth, the worship becomes formalism, mere ritual observance. Omit the truth, and though the whole soul is thrown into the worship, it becomes an abomination. Thus "spirit and truth" form a unit, two halves that belong together in every act of worship.

Finally, I can’t help but believe that the word truth here also includes the idea of authenticity and integrity. In other words, my motives, my life and conduct must match my words, otherwise I’m not only living a lie, but my whole pretense of worship is a lie since I offer empty and meaningless words and phrases that do not reflect who I really am.

Quite a long time ago I read a list of hymn titles that had been altered to reflect the true way many people feel and the way they live.

I could not find a copy of it, but I made up some that are very similar.

I Surrender Some (some to Jesus I surrender, I surrender some)

We’re Limping to Zion (typical, typical Zion)

My Jesus, I Like Thee (I think thou art mine)

Our God Is an Average God (He frets from heaven above)

Fit In, Fit In for Jesus (ye admirers of the cross)

Jesus, I My Chair Have Taken (all to stay and cheer for thee)

Living for Me with a life that is smooth

These sound very silly to us, but they might more accurately reflect the true heart sentiments of some worshipers.

To worship in truth includes bringing our conduct and attitudes into agreement with our words.

How should we worship God?

By lively and spiritual communication aided by God’s Holy Spirit in agreement with God’s revelation of Himself and with integrity of our own conduct.

Let’s stand together and sing our closing song: Fairest Lord Jesus

Communion with Christ

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This sermon was given for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. It emphasizes the importance of Christians living in such a way to communicate to others that we are in communion with Christ rather than communion with devils.

Written Excerpts:

1 Cor. 10:16 ^(NKJV) The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Introduction:

Today we are planning to share the sacrament of communion at the close of this message, so I wanted to speak about a topic that relates to this theme.

I have spoken in the past on this passage in 1 Cor. 10. I think we emphasized the word “communion” itself and tried to explain the meaning of the word. In today’s message I’d like to pick up on that same theme but go on to explore some of the implications that we find in the context of these verses.

As I was trying to decide on a title for the message, I actually had thought about using a more catchy title, “Communing with Christ or Dancing with Devils?”

While we notice that the Apostle is stressing the participation or communion we have with Christ as we partake of the bread and the wine/juice, yet it is clear to see that the issue of idolatry is on his mind. This whole discussion on idolatry actually began at the beginning of chapter 8, where Paul talks about Christian liberty and freedom, but the importance to personally restrict one’s liberty to avoid causing a weaker believer to sin. The specific problem concerns the eating of meat that was offered to an idol.

Paul is instructing the Christians to do everything in their power to avoid the wrong influences upon younger / weaker Christians by eating food that was offered to idols. At the beginning of the paragraph we are specifically considering today (v. 14), Paul emphatically warns, “Flee idolatry.”

Tyndale New Testament Commentaries – He had [earlier] urged them to ‘flee fornication’ (6:18), and he now says flee from idolatry. Here, as there, the present imperative signifies the habitual practice. There is to be no leisurely contemplation of the sin, thinking that one can go so far, and be safe from going further. The only wise course is to have nothing to do with it. ‘They must not try how near they can go, but how far they can [flee].’

What is idolatry?

(Camden Cobern, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) – Idolatry originally meant the worship of idols, or the worship of false gods by means of idols, but came to mean among the Old Testament Hebrews any worship of false gods, whether by images or otherwise, and finally the worship of [the LORD] through visible symbols. In the New Testament idolatry came to mean, not only the giving to any creature or human creation the honor or devotion which belonged to God alone, but the giving to any human desire a precedence over God's will.

Cobern and others (e.g. Oswalt, The Bible Among the Myths) emphasize the use of idols to manipulate the forces of nature, because the deities (gods) were considered to be part of the creation, rather than separate from it. Originally this was how the Hebrews were distinct from the pagans – they understood that the Sovereign Creator was completely separate and apart from the creation/ creature. But the differences became blurred as the Hebrews repeatedly fell into the shameful practices of idolatry along with their pagan neighbors. In many cases, even their prayers were offered as an attempt to manipulate God rather than worship God and work in cooperation with God.

The Jews and some Gentiles had at times determined that the idols were nothing, and there was no other god except Jehovah, but as indicated in verse 20, Paul indicates that demon spirits connect themselves to idols. So, the conclusion is – anyone who “sacrifices to an idol” is really “sacrificing to a demon.” Furthermore, one who eats food that has been sacrificed to an idol is also communing or participating with demons.

Verse 22 implies that there is a real issue of allegiance that is being addressed here.

We either are completely loyal to Christ and avoiding any connection, communion or participation with demons, or we are compromising our loyalty and joining in with demonic influences, which arouses the holy jealousy of God. If we look at v. 16 we see Paul describing the close connection we have with Christ through the emblems of communion. When we drink the cup and eat the bread we are communing / participating / fellowshipping with Christ.

(Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) – Holy Communion there is a participation in the blood of Christ …. Those who receive the cup rightly receive Christ. They are bound together in fellowship with Christ….  Such reception is, of course, a spiritual process, and therefore takes place by faith.

The sacrament of Communion is a reminder that we are participating in the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are sharing in the benefits of His sacrifice as we are washed and cleansed from our sins. So, Paul is reminding us that the last thing we want to do is compromise our faith and loyalty to Christ by doing the things that would communicate that we are “tied” to an idol.

He seems to be alerting His readers and us that it is entirely possible to distort our witness and testimony by doing things that identify us with the Devil’s work and activity in our world. We distort our witness and compromise our devotion to Christ by getting involved in activities and affections that connect us with worldly and demonic forces.

Jesus had said in His teaching ministry that it is impossible for us to serve God and mammon (riches and things associated with it). We cannot have a divided loyalty or conflicting affections. In a similar way, Paul is saying we cannot truly commune with Christ and devils at the same time. We must make serious choices to separate ourselves from the things that would indicate we are communing / devoted to / participating with the god(s) of this world.

As we prepare to share the emblems of communion this morning, I ask each of us to look within our hearts and determine if our allegiance is 100% with Christ. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to search us and reveal anything that is turning us away from Christ or dividing our affection and causing us to become idolatrous in our hearts toward anything other than Him.

Let’s sing the song indicated in the bulletin: O the Blood of Jesus