Last week we started our series, “What’s the Point?” We learned that discovering the POINT is really about realizing our PURPOSE!
Proverbs 19:21: “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail” (NLT).
The one thing that I want all of you to know is the POINT OF YOUR LIFE!
Tonight, I want to talk for a few moments about DISCOVERING GOD!
Check this out … {drama presentation}
All: Aughh! High Five
Leah: Hey guys! Bungee Jumping!
Rachel: Bounced it!
Taurean: Jumped it!
Janine: Broke it!
Rachel: Hey dudes! Sky diving!
Leah: Flew it!
Taurean: Dove it!
Janine: Watched it!
Taurean: Hey guys! Mountain Climbing!
Leah: Climbed it!
Rachel: Scaled it!
Janine: Fell off it!
Janine: Hey guys! How about. . .Jesus!
Leah: Heard about it!
Rachel: Read about it!
Taurean: Doing it tomorrow!
Janine: Hey guys! I walk it, talk it, and live it! You haven’t tried anything until
you’ve tried Jesus. Don’t just hear about it, read about it, and wait until
tomorrow. We’re talking about Jesus! Just do it!
All: Whoa. . .Jesus?
Let’s do it!
When I was about 10 years old I discovered that I LOVED FOOTBALL.
I actually found a few pictures that my mom sent me …
{walk through the powerpoint pictures}
When I first started playing football I had NO CLUE what I was doing … the only thing I really cared about was getting a TOUCHDOWN … the problem was that I did not learn any plays yet … I did not know how to MASTER the game.
In Junior Football we would practice 3-4 nights per week … we run a million laps … learn the plays over and over again …
When I played high school we would do “2 a days” – basically we would practice 2 times per day for 2 hours … we would run laps and learn the plays over and over again.
I loved the game, but it took years to learn the game.
The same thing is true with God … we can love Him, but it will take years to learn all about Him.
That’s the main point of life … TO DISCOVER GOD!
Samuel was a young man when he discovered God. He was serving Eli at the time. One night as Samuel was sleeping he heard, “Samuel, Samuel.” Samuel thought that Eli was calling him. Eli told Samuel go back to sleep. Three times God called out to Samuel … Eli realized that God was trying to get Samuel’s attention.
In 1 Samuel 3:10 we read that on the 4th time Samuel replies to God, “Speak. I am your servant ready to listen.”
That day Samuel DISCOVERED GOD’S VOICE!
How many times are we so stupid? God calls us several times … we have no clue that it is God … he yells our name … then all of a sudden it just clicks!
The point is that we have to DISCOVER GOD!
It is not a sprint it is a marathon … it is a lifelong journey.
The longer we are alive the more we discover about God and our relationship with him GROWS!
1 Samuel 3:19-21: “Samuel grew up. GOD was with him, and Samuel’s prophetic record was flawless. Everyone in Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, recognized that Samuel was the real thing — a true prophet of GOD. GOD continued to show up at Shiloh, revealed through his word to Samuel at Shiloh” (MSG).
A couple of things I want you to see:
1. As Samuel grew up God spoke up.
2. As God spoke up Samuel grew up.
There is an exchange that happens … as we get older God will continue to speak to us … and as God speaks to us we begin to mature spiritually!
Some of you God has been calling your name … “Mike, Mike.” … “Leah, Leah.” … “Rory, Rory.” … “Michelle, Michelle.”
Some of you have rolled over and gone back to sleep, spiritually!
LIFE PRINCIPLE: God wants you to DISCOVER Him!
Let me give you a couple bullet ways to discover God:
1. Read the Bible
2. Study the Bible
3. Memorize the Bible
Just like I had to learn the plays from the playbook … we have to discover God in His Word!
I remember we were playing the last game of the season … the play was called in the huddle, but I could not remember the route I was supposed to run … I did a “down and in” when I was supposed to do a “post.” I ran head on with our extremely large tight end … I found myself on the ground.
Man, if I don’t know what I am supposed to do then I will find myself in “spiritual collisions” all the time.
The greatest, simplest way to discover God is by reading, studying, and memorizing God’s Word.
It is the only real thing that we can trust.
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are” (NLT).
Discovering God helps us discover ourselves!
James 1:22-25: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” (NIV).
Discovering God through His Word helps us remember THE POINT OF LIFE which is to DISCOVER HIM!!!
Join me on the journey to discovering God!
