It's About God.

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Today I am going to attempt an exercise in utter foolishness. 
I, a created being, am going to speak to you about my creator. 
In a way that makes as much sense as a loaf of bread trying to
describe the one who mixed the ingredients together to make it. 
In another way, it is the most exalted endeavor that anyone can
embark upon.  

We live in a world today in which, if God gets any press, it is
for the disasters that occur, for the mayhem that mankind makes,
or negative that is seen.  I have yet to see on the front page
of the newspaper, "Today we are experiencing another act of God.
 The weather will be perfect for picnicking and swimming.  There
will be no clouds, and the ants will eat their own food." 

Or "In an act of God, the warm breeze blew across the rooftops,
and nothing terrible happened."

Or how about this?  "A gentle rain fell on the crops today and
they grew stronger.  God must be at work."

I don't know about you, but forming an image of God in my mind
has been a very hard thing to do, and I have had to undo some of
my thoughts from time to time.  And one of the most persistent
factors in our understanding of God has to do with the
experiences that we had with our parents.  

You see, Satan's driving passion is to besmirch the name of God.
 He wants us to see the evil in the world as God's doing.  He
want's us to think that God is the great eternal spoil-sport in
the sky.  He wants us to think that following God is drudgery,
if not pain.  

It is all around us, and it has affected us.  It affects our
thinking, and our theology.  It affects our relationship with
each other and with God.  

Now I am going to lay the heavy thought on you.  I believe that
the main purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist church is to
proclaim, teach, promote, share the good news about the loving
character of God.  Our calling is to work with the Holy Spirit
to counteract the lies of the Enemy.  

Some people would vote for the investigative judgment as the one
thing that is most important for us as SDA's to tell the world. 
There are some people who feel that since we are the only people
teaching this doctrine that is must be the most important one.  

But as you examine that belief, you will find that the Judgment
is not about us, it is all about God.  "The hour of HIS judgment
has come."  

Isaiah 5:16  But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment,
And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

Rom 3:3-4  "For what if some did not believe? Will their
unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? {4}
Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As
it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may
overcome when You are judged.""

We do not have to be afraid of the judgment any more, for
judgment has been given in favor of the saints.  

Dan 7:22  ""until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was
made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came
for the saints to possess the kingdom."

Why can't we figure it out.  After all, we are the great
controversy people.

Others may think that the Sabbath is the most important belief
that we hold.  But when you stop to think about it, the Sabbath
is all about God.  Without Him, Sabbath would be meaningless. 
However, the Sabbath can tell us a lot about God and how he
feels about us.  He wants time with us.  He wants to get our
attention have some quality time with us.  

By the way, have you ever heard anyone talk of being bound by
the Sabbath?   "How can you stand to be bound by that Old
Testament law?"

I want to respond to that, "How can you stand to be bound to a
bowl of strawberry shortcake with fresh strawberries and ice
cream?"  Or "How can you stand to be bound to take a vacation?"  

The Sabbath bonds I choose to accept pull me from the drudgery
of the ordinary into the delight of the extraordinary.

That was free of charge.

Some may see our understanding of the Condition of Mankind in
death as a most important belief.  But again, all that doctrine
does is tell us more about God.  He is a God who plans to give
the righteous immortality, and the wicked death.  He only
convenes Hell fire to cleanse the world of wickedness.  Talk
about global warming.  When God does it is done very well.  All
pollution burned up.  And when that is finished, God moves on to
re-creation.  

Some may see Christian lifestyle with its concerns with diet,
exercise, health, etc. as the most important part of our belief.
 There are many healthy people who are not going to make it to
the kingdom.  So to find meaning in the Christian lifestyle, we
have to see that it serves to make us more open to the moving of
God.  Otherwise it may prolong life on this planet, but not for
eternity.  And which is more important?

But beyond the talking and preaching and teaching on God, what
God really desires is for us to have an encounter with Him.  And
that is exactly what the Word of God is all about.  The Holy
Spirit leads us to the Word to teach us about God.  More than
that, it is the purpose of the Spirit through the Word to bring
us face to face with God.  The desire is not that we have a
knowledge of God, but rather that we have a relationship with
God.

When we begin to get that into our heads, we are coming close to
where God wants us to be.  

The reason that the Bible had to be written was because of the
separation that sin brought about.  If Adam and Eve had never
sinned, communication would have been direct and face to face. 
What a relationship that would have been.  

It started out that way.  I can imagine some of the
conversations that must have taken place before sin.  God
explaining photosynthesis, cellular metabolism, mytochondrial
DNA, or astronomical orbits.  I can almost hear the Garden Pair
talking excitedly about a new discovery that they made.  And I
can almost feel the comfort that they must have felt as they sat
with Jesus by a singing waterfall and watched the sun go over
the horizon.  

But all of that was interrupted by sin, like a sudden bang of
symbols in the quiet passage of music.

Since that time, God has been working towards restoration. 
Bringing things back to where they once were.  This is an inner
drive that moves all of us to seek God or a God substitute.  We
are hard wired to connect with God.  I call this worship.  And
we will worship

Mysticism is a way of seeking this.  The seeking of the absolute
truth, or the great other, or the prime mover.  But mysticism by
it's nature, never seems to be able to put its hands on anything
concrete.

Or perhaps Nirvana.  The emptying self of all emotions and
desires for the end purpose of obtaining enlightenment

"Buddhists generally do not recommend that individuals seek
paradises following death for two reasons. First, such places
are believed to be temporary and do not give eternal salvation
and happiness as is claimed by some religions. Second, paradises
are believed to halt the spiritual development of those that
reside there. In addition, paradises tend to also halt learning
and creativity, and do not provide opportunities to help the
suffering which is an important value for ..... Buddhists."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana)  

Not interested.  Frankly I am looking for a world that is
greater than I am, not just an extension of what I am.  And I
believe in a real place ruled by a just and holy God, where real
people do real things.

Spiritualism.  An encounter with Satan.  Need I say any more?

Humanism.  An encounter with divergent thoughts of supposedly
great men, focusing on themselves.  Big deal.  

Why is this important?

Bill Hybils tells of one time when he was talking to a number of
5th graders about Christianity.  After his talk, he made an
appeal to the children to give their hearts to Jesus.  One by
one the children answered the call and committed to following
the Lord.  

Finally there was one boy left.  He would not make that
profession.  

Finally the minister asked, "Why don't you want to give your
heart to Jesus?"

He responded, "Why should I give my heart to God when I do not
know what he is like."

Brothers and sisters, how would you respond to that?  

He had just a minute to respond, to explain exactly what God is
like.

John 10:10  ""The thief does not come except to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and
that they may have it more abundantly."

Satan has been telling lies about God for thousands of years. 
He wants us to think of God as the great party pooper in the
sky.  Side with God and all the fun is over.  He will cheat you
out of life.  Take everything that you like or want. Too many
rules, too many laws, too many regulations.

Jesus came down to clear up the misconceptions.  "I came to give
life," he says.  I came to fill you full of life.

How many of us believe that?

As Adventists we should be proclaiming this loudly.

No one says this as clearly as we do.

Our mission is to call people not to a knowledge of God, but an
encounter with God.  He wants people to have Him in their lives.

Briefly, some encounters with God.

Moses at the burning bush.

Encounter with God on Sinai.

Elijah after he ran from Jezebel.

Isaiah in the temple.

Ezekiel in Babylon.

The disciples with Jesus

Isaac Newton as he pondered God's creation.

Isaac Watts who wrote "Amazing Grace."

And we could go on and on.

Have you experienced God?

Have you had an encounter with Him?

Have you had a Damascus road experience like Paul, or a
Gethsemane experience like Peter?

If you have had an encounter with God, how would you know it?

I want to quote from a Jewish writer.

Being a Jew is not the same as being a Christian. Christianity
is purely a religious belief. You could be British, American,
French and still be a Christian. Not so the Jews.  The Jews can
certainly become citizens of the countries in which they live
and they often look and act like everyone else, but all the
while, they and everyone else knows they are different. If they
choose to deny this fact, the rest of the world will always
remind them of it. Being a Jew is being part of a distinct
people and a nation, which does have a land, does have a
language, does have a history and a world mission.  Most
importantly, Jews have a specific relationship with God which is
not just a religious/spiritual identity; it's an
all-encompassing view of the world -- how to live every second
of life -- which is unique in the world. The Jewish national
identity was forged by the experience at Mount Sinai where we
committed to a mission, and a specific way of life to be lived
in accordance with the commandments of the Torah, which is the
guidebook for accomplishing that mission on a personal and
national level.
(http://www.battalionofdeborah.org/blog/_archives/2007/2/7/271811
7.html)

After reading that, does Paul's designation of us as Spiritual
Jews have more meaning?  

We, as Seventh-day Adventists, are part of a distinct people. 
We have a land, a heavenly one.  We have a language that we
understand that many do not.  We have a world mission.  And most
importantly, as this writer wrote, we are called to have a
specific relationship with God.  Re-read the last sentences
above.

We are to tell the world about who God really is.  It is an
incredible privilege that we have been given.  That in the end
time of this world's history we can say that God is worthy of
worship.  God is a loving God.  He cares about His children.  He
has done everything that He can for their salvation.

Revelation 4 and 5.  Scroll.  What is in the scroll?  Remember,
Jesus said that the thing that He came to do was to reveal God. 
Perhaps what is in that scroll is the truth about the goodness
of God that only Jesus Christ is able to reveal.

And as that good news is revealed, worship becomes the
prevailing activity in heaven.

God has always been good and loving.  He did not suddenly change
at Calvary.  What transpired there was because God was already
love.  It was the working out of a plan set up from before the
foundation of the earth.

Mal 3:6  ""For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are
not consumed, O sons of Jacob."

Heb 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And God has always had a purpose.  And a purpose for us.

2 Tim 1:9  "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and
grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"

There were many reasons to remember the 1996 Olympics.  First,
they had participation from the most nations ever.  Second was
the bombing that took place in the park in Atlanta while they
were going on.  And then there was the lighting of the Olympic
flame by Mohammed Ali.  He had experienced a rocky relationship
with his nation and the Olympics, even to the point of throwing
his gold medal into a river.

Now, suffering from Parkinson's disease, he nonetheless managed
to carry the torch for the last segment and climb up and light
the flame.

It is said, that later in his hotel room that night he sat on
the side of his bed almost all night, holding the torch and
staring it in wonder and amazement.  He had been chosen to carry
the torch the last lap.  What a wonder.  What an honor. (from a
sermon by Dan Smith)

Brothers and sisters, we have been called upon to carry the
torch on the last lap.  In spite of how we have related to God
in the past, He urges us to stand, and struggle if we must, to
hold up the good news of the goodness and love of God.  And His
love gives us the strength.  

Today, can you feel the privilege of that?  Can you feel the
honor that God is bestowing upon us?  Are you willing to reach
out and take that torch, vowing to share the good news of the
Good Father where ever you have the chance?  Just raise your
hands if that is your desire.  Thank you. You may put your hands
down.

Today I am going to ask another question.  If you would like to
join with a church whose desire is to represent God aright,
would you raise your hand?