What I really need is..
Purpose and Understanding
Isaiah 1:2-20
Introduction-
We have for several weeks looked at what we really need from God.
The first week was a no brainier, it was God. It was that we needed to spiritually grow in our relationship with Him.
Last week, we looked at security.
We are living in troubled times, the news is depressing.
The things people do are horrible.
The bottom line is that if we are to have security, it will be by putting our trust in the promises of God’s Word, and that God has the final word for eternity.
Are you beginning to see the thread, everything that keeps us up at night as concerns, everything that is necessary for our walk with God, it comes from God.
The thread that keeps us together is God. No shortcut.
This morning we will look at purpose and understanding.
Purpose only as a springboard to understanding. Because purpose will be a sermon of it’s own.
Questions:
How do we rightly understand God?
How do we know what purpose we have, so we can understand what we are to do with it?
How do we even begin to try to understand why bad things happen to good people and bad people have good things happen?
If God rules everything, then why does He allow bad things to happen?
I do not claim to be an expert on this issue, but I believe God’s word gives us some answers if we will look for them.
Turn to Isaiah 1:2-20.
Isaiah the prophet is talking about the nation of Israel.
Split into two separate kingdoms- Judah and Israel, with two kings.
Talking about the wickedness that’s taking place.
V3- “But Israel does not know, my people do not understand”
v4-“ Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the Lord, who have despised the Holy one of Israel. Who are utterly estranged.”
V18- NIV- Come now, let us reason together.
V18-NRSV- “Come now, let us argue it out”
The only way to reason with God is,:
God speaks, you listen, and then you pray that God gives you the understanding.
I like the NRSV, God says argue it out, bring me the hurts, troubles, , misunderstandings, and pray that I give you understanding.
It happened in Israel, it is happening today. We have lost our reverence for God.
People more concerned what others think than what God thinks.
TThey have watered down His Word to say what they want it to say and wonder why God doesn’t give them understanding.
The news sickens me as we destroy each other proclaiming that it is a war about God and truth
.John Wesley from this Scripture included two of his general rules.
1. Cease to do evil; learn to do good.
2. Do no harm; do good.
Why would you ever have to write these as rules? Because even 100 years ago, we were heading away from God.
Let me try to lay this out this morning.
Were looking at understanding God, but we have to understand purpose first.
We were created to worship God- Israel didn’t get it right, we do not either. We would rather exalt ourselves.
We were created to do God’s will- we have to have it our way. You deserve it. Fight for what you want, even if it is wrong.
We were created in the image of God. We live like our fallen nature instead of living the redeemed life by the blood of the lamb.
Then we come to God and claim we do not understand what He is telling us.
God is trying to speak to us. He is pointing us to life changes.
What God, I cannot hear you. Like we have selective hearing.
But when a crisis hits our lives. God where are you? Why don’t you hear my plea?
I. You will never have understanding until you start listening to God.
If you are talking, you are not listening. Teachers teach, students listen.
Average studies show that people are only tuned in about 25 % of the time. The other 75% of the time they are thinking of something else. People say they are bad with names. The reason most don’t remember names is not because of their memory. It is because they never heard it. They were so focused on what they will say or how they look, they did not pay attention to the name.
There is a reason that James says slow to speak, quick to listen. There is a lot of people with nothing to say. The problem is, it takes them a lot of words to say nothing.
Dr. Zimmerman says
Talking is sharing, but listening is caring
Illustration:
College correspondence:
Memo from president to Vice president:
Next Thursday Haley’s Comet will appear over this area, this is an event which occurs once every seventy years. Call the division heads and have them assemble their professors and students on the athletic field and explain this phenomena to them. If it rain’s, then cancel the observation and have the classes meet in the gym to see a film about the comet.
Chairmen to the Professors:
By order of the phenomenal president next Thursday Haley’s Comet will appear in the gym. In case of rain over the athletic field the president will give another order, something which occurs every seventy five years.
Professor to the students:
Next Thursday the president will appear in our gym with Haley’s Comet, something which occurs every seventy five years. If it rains the president will cancel the Comet and order us out unto our phenomenal athletic field.
Student writing home to parents:
When it rains next Thursday over the athletic field the phenomenal seventy five year old president will cancel all classes and appear before the whole school accompanied by Bill Haley and the Comets.
We need to improve our listening skills with each other, but more importantly, we need to listen to God.
Illustration-
There are times when I am walking to the car or getting the mail at church. People going by and are waving. Some I haven’t seen here for months, some even years. Waving. You cannot wave at God and do your own thing. You cannot pick and choose what we want to hear.
I don’t understand all things. I do understand not putting God first in your life, not listening when he speaks to us puts us in a tough place to understand what God wants for you and from you.
There are things that I do not understand, but they are not eternal things.
1. Why Noah didn’t kill those two mosquitos.
2. I want a parachute instead of a floatation device on a plane.
3. Why people who claim to be psychic don’t win the lottery every week.
Those are humorous, but there are some that I wish I had answers for.
1. Why some are healed from cancer after much prayer, and some are not after much prayer.
2. How God would get honor and glory over disease and deformed people.
3. Why some attempt suicide and live, and some don’t get a second chance.
I know about sin in the world.
I know because of the fallen nature of man.
I know because man is evil. I understand free choice.
These situations sometimes don’t make sense to us. We don’t understand.
You wonder “Why are you God when I need you”
I have many times taken God up on His invitation “Come now, let us argue it out” if you haven’t, I would invite you to do that. He knows your heart, he wants you to express your hurts to Him. He lets you talk, he will be listening.
II. You will never understand God until you completely put your trust in Him.
My ways are higher than your ways
My thoughts are higher than your thoughts
You have a point of view, and God has the whole view. You are one piece in the puzzle, you will not be able to get the whole picture. For sure not until he gives you more of the picture.
You are not smart enough
You are not wise enough.
You are not skilled enough to understand all. I think some are to smart for their own good. They analyze everything and trust nothing.
You have to trust God.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.
He wants you to understand that God can see in the dark.
God knows what you are up against.
Illustration
Have you ever been in a plane and you were landing in fog? You cannot see out the window. Worst yet, the pilot cannot see out the window. Pilot had instruments and a control tower to safely get that plane on the ground. We do not always have to see. Because God will safely land us where we need to be if we will let him control the circumstances.
I’m bringing this plane in for the landing.
Being a follower of Jesus sometimes causes us to have some stormy situations.
He told us that. He doesn’t say that you might, he says that you will. Back to scripture, and the Jewish people. They believed that if something bad happened , there must be sin in your life. If they were sick, it was some sin. We know that is not necessarily true. We know that sometimes they have done nothing wrong.
Jeremiah 29:11
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
It doesn’t come without trials, but I believe with all my heart it comes with plans to give you hope and a future.
The devil wants to sink your ship. Your family, your church, your marriage. Anything that is dear to you.
Pop your balloon. To get you discouraged.
Scare you to look at circumstances instead of the hope for the future.
Closing:
Steve Shepherd describes the property laws of a toddler.
1. If I like it, it is mine.
2. If it is in my hand, it is mine.
3. If I take it from you, it is mine.
4. If I had it awhile ago, it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If I saw it first, it is mine.
8. If it is broken, it is yours.
We cannot always have it our way.
God’s purpose is to get us safely home. Right now you may have some big things to face. Do not face them alone. Have the Lord work in your life.
You will not always understand. But understand that God does.
By putting your trust completely in Him, it becomes his responsibility and it takes the pressure off of you.
2 Cor. 4:17:
“For the light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Martin Luther:
“I am so busy now that I find if I do not spend 2 or 3 hours in prayer each day, I cannot get through the day. If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith”
D.L. Moody:
The only way to keep a broken vessel full is to keep it always under the tap”
understanding is hard, trusting is hard. One doesn’t come with much hope, and the other one trusting in the Lord offers a hope for the future.
What do you say?
Altar call:
Some need answers, ask the Lord.
Some won’t get answers, trust the Lord.
Some need to turn their lives over to the Lord. Do that this morning.
