"It Is Time to Seek the Lord . . .”
A woman had two little boys who were driving her to the edge of despair. They were into everything, non-stop. And they were mischievous as well.
One day she decided to take them to her pastor. Maybe he could succeed where she had failed. The pastor wanted to see the older boy first. The younger one sat outside.
The older boy was frightened. The minister looked so austere in his black robe each Sunday. What would he be like one-on-one?
The minister, a kindly man, looked at the young fellow somberly, then asked, "Young man, where is God?" The boy had no idea what to say, so he sat in silence. The minister repeated the question, "Young man, where is God?" The boy still said nothing. The pastor thundered one last time, "Young man, I said, ’Where is God?’"
The boy jumped out of the chair, ran from the room, grabbed his little brother and raced from the church. He shouted, "Bobby, they’ve lost God and they’re trying to pin it on us!"
Sadly many souls have misplaced God in their life.
•C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity said:
“The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it.
It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals.
And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.
•How and Why:
“Two words summarize the lives of most Americans – hurry and worry”
We have no hunger for God, not because he is unsavory, but because we “keep ourselves stuffed with other things”’
"Money . . . material . . . pleasure. . . . they’re not what’s going to make us completely happy.
They’re not real. They don’t last. There’s only one thing that lasts, and that’s your soul. And if you don’t work on that, and you don’t pay attention to that, then all the money in the world is not going to help you."
Seeking God, Finding God, and Discovering God is the greatest Adventure we can experience.
Scripture: Isaiah 55:6
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near."
Prayer
Empowerment comes only from actively seeking God
There is nothing more important than to seek Him, to call upon Him, and to draw close to Him in trust and love. Seek Him confidently
What do those words mean, to seek the Lord and to call upon Him?
This is not a call to a mere religious formalism.
It is not simply a call merely to seek religious notions, opinions.
This is not a call simply to attain religious philosophy.
It is not a call simply to seek morality, to find a good, moral, decent, upstanding life.
It is not a call to seek some kind of self-help religion,
It is not a call to some kind of feeling,
It is not a call to some kind of experience that comes over you and sends shivers down your spine and you cannot describe what it is.
But it is a call to seek God Himself, to have direct dealings with the Almighty, the Creator.
God addresses us in His Word, "Seek My face, call upon My name, come unto Me."
The urgency then is this.
Overcome the sin then of complacency. Oh,
Overcome the sin of self-sufficiency. Oh,
Overcome the sin of hiding from service,
Overcome Spiritual indifference,
Overcome spiritual apathy,
ILL: The company Microsoft has a slogan that asks, "Where do you want to go today?" It’s a good spiritual question to be asked of ourselves everyday. Deciding where you want go also decides what direction we want to go.
We determine how much God will use us by how much we seek God, and what direction we will follow.
Its time to seek God when: Spiritually malnourished
(These are easily recognizable signs)
It seems easier to hide than face life
You see life with gloom and doom instead enthusiasm
You have lost your strength
You have lost your Joy
You feel defeated
Your Christian life seems like a burden
Prayer seems like a chore
Bible reading is only an activity
Church attendance is in your way
Its time to seek God when: Spiritually Undisturbed
You are not seeking God, to yield to Him Hindering God himself by:
You are not answering Gods call.
You are not willing to improve, support, and actively make a difference
You are not moved by God’s Spirit to make a difference
You make excuses and hide behind them instead of facing responsibilities
You have forgotten who you are, and why you exist
You are willing to let others do everything that needs to be done
Little or no compassion for anyone
Your attitude is, what in it for me, instead of what can I contribute
Its time to seek God when: You need the voids in your life filled
In the 2000 summer Olympics, the USA women’s softball team won its second gold-medal. Lisa Fernandez is their pitcher. One commentator says that she is “arguably the best women’s softball pitcher the world has ever seen. She has found a source of strength and support that bridges all the highs and lows, strikeouts and home runs that life throws her way” [from CBN, 700 Club interview, Michael Rasnick, 700 Club Producer, autumn 2000]. This is what Lisa Fernandez says:
"Being with God and walking as one [with him] has definitely fulfilled me. He’s filled the voids in my life. When I feel insecure about myself and I’m not sure where I’m going, I can turn to Him and open up the Bible. I can read a passage, and all of a sudden, my world has changed and my view is clear." [Rasnick, ibid]
Its time to seek God when: You realize you have nothing to offer of yourself.
"My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?" Oswald Chambers
Its time to seek God when: You realize your strength and happiness is lacking.
Henry Ward Beecher once said, "The strength and the happiness of a man consists in finding out the way in which God is going, and going in that way too."
Summery
Jer 29:12-13
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
An important key is to seek God with all your heart. Some people are too casual when it comes to seeking the Lord.
A person Seeks God by:
1. Desiring Him.
2. By loving Him.
3. By worshiping Him.
4. By searching His word.
5. By fasting.
6. By prayer.
One of the greatest problems we have in the church To many only seek for themselves
God is calling us to maturity, to Growth, and to advance his kingdom, to save souls, to display righteousness and demonstrate Holiness into lost corrupt world.
The more we seek God, the more we become like God
The more we seek God, the more we are empowered, and strengthened.
The more we seek God, the more possibilities exist.
The more we seek God, the better we represent God
The more we seek God, more souls will be saved.
If you have misplaced Jesus in your Life, and you need to seek him the please consider this true story:
The steam ship, Central America, on its maiden voyage from New York City to San Francisco harbor, sprang a leak in mid-ocean and began to go down. A distress signal was sent out over the airwaves. A rescue vessel rushed to the scene. Upon reaching the scene, the captain of the rescue vessel sent a message to the Central America asking, “What is your problem, and how can we help?” To which the captain of the Central America answered, “We are going down, wait along side until morning.” The captain of the rescue vessel answered. “Send your passengers now.” Again the captain of the Central America answered, “Wait along side until morning. The captain of the rescue vessel again radioed, “Please, send your passengers now, send your passengers now.” The captain of the Central America, perhaps concerned that his passengers might be injured in the darkness, or concerned about their safety in the transfer between ships answered once again, “wait along side until morning.”
Dawn showed the rescue vessel an empty sea. During the night the Central America had gone down with all of her passengers and all of her crew. They had waited too long. (Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations).
Without God there is no;
Peace, Pardon or Hope
This morning you have been given an opportunity. And just like Central America, you have been given many opportunities before. Oh my friend, you are not promised another hour, you are not promised another day.
