God Has Some Big Windows

GOD HAS SOME BIG WINDOWS

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. I read about one crotchety old couple, Victor & Shirley, who’d been married for 65 years, being interviewed by the Huntsville Item.

2. "So Shirley," asks the reporter, "Exactly how old are you?" "I am 88 years old, and I hope to live to be a hundred." "Well I hope your wish comes true!"

3. The reporter turns to Victor and asks, "And how old are you, Victor?" "I’m also 88 years old," replies Victor, "and please God, I hope to live to be a hundred and one."

4. "But why," asked the reporter, "do you want to live one year longer than your wife?"

5. "Well, to tell you the truth," replied Victor, "I’d like to have at least one year of peace and quiet."

B. THESIS

1. A famous line in The Sound of Music was when the old Reverend Mother (Abbess) tells Maria Rainer, who is a pledged Nun, but not ready for monastic life, “If God shuts a door, he always opens a window somewhere.” She ends up marrying Captain von Trapp.

2. “WINDOW” (def.) - “an opening in the wall or roof of a building to admit light or air, to allow people to see in or have access in/out in an emergency.” [DEMONSTRATE WITH REAL WINDOW] Typically, we keep our windows shut or slightly open. God too.

3. There are 4 times in the Bible where God says He’ll open wide a window in heaven. This doesn’t sound very impressive, until you stop to think God’s windows are gigantic in scope.

4. Let’s look at four of God’s windows and see how we might profit from them. The title is “God Has Some Big Windows.”

I. WINDOWS OF JUDGMENT

A. WHY THE JUDGMENT FELL

1. The world at the time of Noah fell into flagrant sin. They became so immoral/evil that God regretted He’d ever made humans. God said He’d destroy all life on the planet, except for Noah’s family.

2. That was when the windows of God’s judgment opened up and drowned the world with the flood:

3. “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And all flesh…in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.” Genesis 7:11,21-22.

4. Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man.” We live in similar times, when perversity & violence are sweeping the world. So this window of judgment will be opened again someday soon!

B. FACTS ABOUT SIN

In order for us to avoid the judgment that will fall on the world, we need to know 5 things about sin:

1. SIN CAN NEVER BE HIDDEN. We can try to hide our sins, hoping they won’t be found out, but God says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” Num. 32:23. The Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” Pr. 15:3. We can’t hide our sin; doing so only creates more problems.

2. SIN IS NEVER VICTIMLESS. Sin always has consequences, ramifications. When sin occurs - people get hurt. Sin always has victims.

3. SIN IS NEVER INSIGNIFICANT. God Hates Sin. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a “big” sin or a “little” sin. God hates sin. Why? Because He is totally pure. If God allowed even a dust particle of sin – it would contaminate Him. Sins that we allow, God despises: lust, dishonesty, rudeness, arrogance, pride. We think they’re OK - but they make us impure and unholy. Would you want to drink a bottle of water that’s only 5% contaminated? Of course not. That 5% could contaminate your whole body. It’s the same with sin; Sin is never insignificant.

4. SIN IS NEVER FORGOTTEN. There’re ministers out there that say, “God forgets your sin.” Don’t be fooled: God doesn’t have holy amnesia. God never forgets anything. “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart” Jer. 17:1. “The Lord…will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins” Jer. 14:10. Sin is always a serious business!

5. SIN IS NEVER BEYOND GOD’S FORGIVENESS. Every sin you’ve ever committed – lust, adultery, lies, murder – God will forgive. God won’t ignore sin – but He will forgive it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 Jn. 1:9. Thank God!