Coming thirsty Part two
Isaiah 55:1-11
Introduction-
Last week we looked at Isaiah 55 and about us coming to God hungry and thirsty for the things of God.
We said that many people say they are hungry for God and many say that they want God in their lives, but their words and their actions don’t match.
Let’s see what God tells us!
Let’s see what we need to do so we can come thirsty for the things of God.
Isaiah 55:1-11
You remember the background-
Israel was disobedient and they were facing consequences.
They were doing their own thing.
They blame God for what was happening, but it was their fault.
For every action, there is a reaction!
You throw a stone in the lake and you will create a wave or ripple. What we do does have an effect on what happens next.
God gives an invitation to come- He invites us to experience all that He wants us to experience, and He offers us life. Abundant life!
Why labor on what does not satisfy?
Why spend money on things that don’t enrich your life for eternity?
Don’t wait until it is too late- many play roulette, they spin the wheel and decide when and if they will respond to God’s invitation.
(3) “Give ear, and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
There are only two reasons people don’t obey God’s Word.
(1) They do not value the things of God-
They outright reject Him.
They think they have plenty of time to enjoy sin and at a later date they will accept His offer.
There is no urgency- they think Grace is optional and at their discretion they will make their choice.
(2) They do not understand the things of God
They do not understand God and distance themselves from discipleship and claim ignorance. (I did not know)
Discipleship is a process of teaching others the doctrine and teaching s of Scripture. It is also revealing God’s goodness and the hope He offers to us and others.
Not understanding the things of God and willing for the Lord to show you His truth is much different than ignoring God’s truth and claiming ignorance.
One is discipleship
One is disobedience.
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
One is seeking God and wanting Him to work in their lives.
One is hiding from God, leaving options open, but also being openly disobedient.
Listen, because God is a holy God, because He is all-knowing.
He can distinguish what is in our hearts.
His mercy and His Spirit invite us to come.
“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
Our natural instinct is to be drawn to the world.
We are drawn to things away from God.
Sin draws us away from God.
The Spirit of God draws us close to God
We either respond to God drawing us or we resist God’s calling and move away from God
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
When God draws us near, we need to turn from our wicked ways and respond to him.
Seeking God is a response- it is going against what is natural, and turning toward God instead of away from Him.
Seek the Lord while He may be found.
Call upon Him while He is near.
Repent and turn from your wicked ways.
That is not new!
Isaiah calls Israel to repent while they still have time.
He urged them to trust God. We only get this life to respond.
There are several ways to seek the Lord, but the first thing is to respond and draw near to Him.
Call upon the Lord
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.”
Whole-hearted devotion-
Body, Soul, Spirit. Casting you cares on the Lord. Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.”
“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.”
Why are other countries experiencing God like never before?
Why is the Church of the Nazarene larger outside the USA?
Because they are hungry for God.
Because they are searching for God with their whole hearts.
Because they do not let all the distractions of this world keep them from receiving all that God has for them.
God is still in the miracle business
God still wants his people to experience the fullness of God (Pentecost)
He still saves, and He can still deliver people from sin. But most don’t want it!
Colossians 3- “Since then, you have been Raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.”
Set your heart on Christ
Set your mind on Christ
Heard some great pastor reports this week at District Assembly.
God is doing amazing things!
Heard some that I scratched my head-
Painted fellowship walls
Fixed plumbing
Bought new ping pong table for teens.
That’s okay- we need that, but is that the best we got?
In other countries, showing the Jesus film, 1000’s of people sitting in the middle of the jungle crying at the point that Jesus is crucified and absolutely rejoicing when He is resurrected.
That is seeking God!
That is why God is responding to them and changing their lives!
“Not to us, O Lord, but to you goes all the glory.”
When we realize- text (8-9)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.”
“Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord almighty.”
They are seeking and they are finding the Lord, just like He promised.
“And without faith it is impossible to pleased God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Heb 11:6
If you seek God, you will find Him.
If you seek God, He will reward you.
You ask, He will answer.
You knock, He will open the door.
Seeking God takes work, but it is worth it.
Seeking God is being determined to diligently respond to His calling.
Other countries risking life to find just one page of God’s Word , and in this country, Bibles draw dust because we are too busy for God
Listen, right here is the first place you seek God if you are seriously seeking God.
In the Word of God
There is power in the Word of God!
“It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
“For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.”
God word has power, it is not just ink on a page.
It is God’s truth.
God’s direction for our lives.
God’s word sets us free.
“And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.”
God’s word transforms us!
Seeking him is no longer a problem, but a privilege!
George Barna says the state of the church is sad
48% cannot name the four gospels.
60 % cannot name even 5 of the 10 Commandments (Though they say that they live by them.)
Americans love the Bible, they just don’t know what it says.
Closing,
God has an invitation to the thirsty- He says to come…
He tells us to seek Him while He may be found. When the Spirit of God moves, move toward Him not away from Him.
One way we can seek Him is in His word
Like the prophet, taste the Word of God and see that it is good and see that it can change your life for the better.
His ways are higher than our ways.
Realize that He is God! You are seeking a relationship with God. You cannot do things your way, it is His way.
You will not always understand because God ways are higher and you have to trust that He will accomplish His purpose in your life.
God will accomplish all that He purposes if we will respond to Him.
Responding is when He draws you close and seeks that relationship, you do not fight him, but come to Him willingly and allow Him to do what is needed in your life.
There are so many things that pull us away from God!
Video games that consume us
Computer, phones that take up all our time. What did we ever do without them?
Years ago, it was Atari 2600 and Pacman. Today it is high tech games that I see people grumbling about on Facebook that they cannot break level such and such.
We need God! We need a relationship with Him
Whatever draws us away from God….has to be stopped or controlled, because just like Pacman, it is eating us up and we are running for our lives!
Come to the Lord thirsty this morning
Amen.
