What Color is God?
Nehemiah 9:1-4; Romans 8:1-16 Monte T. Brown
June 29, 2008 Sunday Morning
Heart O’ the Hills
Prelude
In the book of Nehemiah chapter 9 we see the people first experiencing God. Questions arose about God and His Word.
Remember the people had been in captivity for seventy years and had not even heard the Word of God being read. No wonder they had questions.
We experienced a large crowd last week at KBA, there seem to be a blend of nationalities there and it reminded me of the times I would go to Kings Achievement Center and preach to some 50 young boys of different nationalities. These boys were searching for answers about God. Does God look like me or does he look like the other guy.
Is he white, American Indian, Hispanic, Italian, French, or what?
What color is God?
Scripture
1Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.
2Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
3And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.
4Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God. Nehemiah 9:1-4 (NKJV)
Prayer
Introduction
After the people heard the Word of God read and understood it, they then fellowshipped with one another and pondered upon what they had heard during the Feast of the Tabernacles.
Through the reading, fellowship, and the Feast of the Tabernacles, their hearts where quickened by all that had happened and on the twenty fourth day of that month they sought repentance and began to confess their sins to one another.
Half the day was spent in worship. One forth of it was for confession and the other one forth for worshipping God.
There is a vas contrast between worship of that time and the worship we see today. We are lucky if we can get people to come once a week for one hour, much less a half a day each week.
I am afraid the many people confess that they have no sins and see no need for confession. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9)
Confession means we agree with God’s Word instead of offering excuses or attempting to rationalize our actions. Confession is calling white white and black black.
As we look around us today we see that things are changing.
We now have in our communities’ people of different nationalities with differences in color of skin and beliefs.
What Color is God
I was once asked to speak at a home for boys and in that home of forty two boys there were African Americans, Laoceans, Hispanic, American Indians, Eastern Culture, and Western Culture.
So I wondered how I can relate to them who God is.
What color is God?
Is He African American, Laocean, Hispanic, American Indian, Eastern Culture, and Western Culture?
Let me ask you a question!
What color are your shoes?
Black
Brown
Gray
White
Black polish makes black shoes shine.
Brown polish makes brown shoes shine.
Gray polish makes gray shoes shine.
White polish makes white shoes shine.
Black polish on white shoes ruins the shine and the appearance.
White polish on black shoes ruins the shine and the appearance.
Brown polish on gray shoes ruins the shine and the appearance.
So what does the Bible say about God?
John 4:24 says;
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
John 6:63 says;
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Job 33:4 says;
The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Numbers 6:25 says;
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
Matthew 5:16 says;
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
God is a Spirit and His Spirit shines upon us and we are to shine and reflect his Spirit to others.
Like the shoes that you wear, they should shine!
God comes into us and shines through us, therefore God is neutral a color and he can cause you to shine no matter what color you are.
Just as neutral polish makes black, brown, gray, or white shoes shine.
Romans 8:1-16 says;
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
3For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
10And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13For 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.
14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15For 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."
16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Psalms 143:10 says;
Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
So the question I posse to you is this.
Does God cause you to shine?
Is He in your life today?
What spirit dwells in you?
Come let Him place His Holy Spirit upon your life.
Let Jesus come in.
