What is God Like? Psalm 8+ September 18, 2016
Turn with me this morning to Psalm 8. We’re going to be looking at a number of scriptures this morning, and if you had difficulty keeping up, just look at the screen. We’ll have most of the scriptures up there.
There is an old poem some of you may have heard about the blind men and the elephant. It goes like this: Read poem
What is that poem trying to state? That many times we look at God through our personal perspective and we miss a lot of the other perspectives of God. Now let me clearly state - I am not saying that there are other ways to heaven or other ways of salvation. Scripture is very clear about that - Acts 4:12 - Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” But the point I want to start out with today is that we can’t put God in a box. Instead of coming to the scriptures to prove what we believe to be true about God, we want to come to the scripture and see what God says about Himself. Because the scriptures are the record of God revealing Himself to man.
And the answer of what is true is not what WE believe, but is what GOD says. And the first thing we see to be true of God is that
1. God is GREAT - God is so far beyond our comprehension. And that’s where the problem comes in. We try to understand and explain One who is far beyond our comprehension. When we start thinking we are something pretty special, all we need to do is look around us at the universe we live in, and we are reminded how insignificant we are. If I take a flashlight and turn it on, a beam of light comes out, traveling at 186, 282 miles a second. In one second it has gone a distance equivalent to going around the circumference of the earth four times - in just one second. That’s how fast light travels! In one year, that beam of light could have gone around the earth 240 million times. (galaxy pix) But to reach some of the galaxies that astronomers look at through their telescopes, it would take 10 billion years for that beam of light at its racing speed to reach there. That’s how big our universe is. And we understand through scripture that our God is the one who has set all of those stars in place.
That brings us to Psalm 8:3 which tells us, When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? This great and vast universe that we live in was completely orchestrated and designed by our great God. That’s how great He is! The Psalmist says in Psalm 147, Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! . . . He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
Just in our solar system alone, The Milky Way, there are estimated to be 400 Billion stars, and ours is just one of many, many galaxies. And yet scripture tells us that our God is so great that He created all of them by simply speaking the word, He knows each one distinctly, and He knows its name.
And while our God is so very great, yet He is a God of intricate detail. When you think about all the micro-organisms that live in just one drop of water, we see the masterful detail that God places into his creation. Look at the tip of your finger, and all the intricate patterns on your fingertips -- billions of people in the world, and yet each fingerprint is unique. Think about snowflakes - not one of them is the same. The first thing scripture declares to us about God is that God is Great! And the more that we take time to consider our creation, the more easily we admit that our God is great. But something that seems to go against the greatness of God is that
2. God CARES about us - when we think of how great our God is, it is overwhelming for us to consider that the God who made the trillions upon trillions of stars would care about us - small and insignificant that we are, but He does. In the $10 terms of theologians and philosophers, God is both transcendent and immanent. Which are simply big words to say that He is beyond our world, yet close at hand; He is so far above us, but He is so very close to us. Isaiah 40 says this about Him: He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.
Our God is far beyond our understanding or comprehension. Even though our God is so great, and so far above us, yet scripture also teaches us that this great God cares about us. Turn in your bibles to Matthew 25, we’ll be there in a minute. In Matthew 10:29, we read these words,
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Across the tens of billions of light years, God notices every little sparrow that falls. He says that He even knows how many hairs are on your head at any one time. He is intricately involved in the affairs of our lives. He cares deeply about us. The things that we think nothing about, God notices. When you brushed your hair this morning, you didn’t count how many hairs came out in the comb or brush, and yet God took notice. He cares about you. This brings us to. . .
Matthew 25 which tells us, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? . . . See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Consider this morning that our God, great as He is, and so far above us, He cares for us. We KNOW this to be true, but we often fail to believe it, to put it into practice in our daily living. Satan comes to us and tempts us with his lies, telling us that God doesn’t really care about us, he hates us, he wants to punish us, he has forgotten about us, he isn’t really there, he can’t really do anything to help us. But those are all lies. Satan is a liar and the father of lies. He tempts us to doubt. But the step of FAITH that we need to take is to believe that God cares. He cares about what we do, He cares about the burdens of our heart, and He cares to make sure our every need is met.
He cares that we obey His commands. Saul found that out in 1 Samuel 15 - he disobeyed God and thought it wouldn’t matter; but God sent Samuel with a message for him: Since you have rejected the LORD’s command, he has rejected you from being the king of Israel.” God cares what we do, how we live, he cares about the small details of our lives.
Sometimes we are tempted to think that the way we live our life each day doesn’t really matter to God. We rationalize that God doesn’t really care if we are honest or kind or if we work hard; does he really care whether we tell the truth or guard our eyes or stay faithful? But the answer is YES, he does. And we need to make a commitment to live as though we truly believe that God cares about us.
He cares about what we do, but He also cares about our every need. In 1 Peter 5 we see what our God is like. He gives us an invitation there. It says in verse 7, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Think about the things that get you worked up, stressed out, filled with anxiety and frustration and anger and the truth of scripture is that God desires to take ALL of that stress away. He invites us to give it all to Him. To release it. To take away the stress and give you a peace that passes all understanding. Which means that when we turn over to God the things that stress us out, others won’t be able to understand how we can be so peaceful about those stressful situations.
Take a moment to think this morning: Do I live like I really believe that God cares about me? When bad things happen, don’t presume God doesn’t love you anymore. When you pray and don’t get what you want, don’t begin to question whether God really cares. Make a determination that by FAITH that you will believe and live like you believe that God cares about you. The third truth we want to consider this morning is this:
3. God is constantly working for our good. Turn to Psalm 139. It is sometimes easy to believe that God loves us and cares for us, but He is inactive in our lives. This was what the Deists believed. Like Thomas Jefferson. They thought of God as a big clockmaker who created the world and everything in it, and even though He might love us, He has very little interaction with us. But once again, studying the scripture shows us that this is not true. Psalm 139 tells us that God is very involved with the everyday affairs of our lives. It says in verse 1,
O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Think back to the days of the wild west. Wagon trains were crossing the desert, and they each sought out a guide, who knew the way, who knew where the water holes were, who knew where the canyons and ravines and indian tribes were. The guide was essential for a successful crossing. If you didn’t have a good guide, you were likely to die in the wilderness. The Psalmist tells us that we can trust that our God knows what is best for us. He is constantly working for our good. The Psalmist continues on in verse 6.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know! I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
Our God is constantly involved in the details of our lives, even when we are unaware of his presence. And as the famous verse in Romans 8:28 reminds us, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Even when we don’t see Him, He is behind the scenes orchestrating everything for our good. Remember the story of Joseph, who when he is reunited with his brothers, is able to freely forgive them for what they did. He says in Genesis 50, As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people. But didn’t Joseph get sold as a slave and get wrongly accused and get thrown into prison? Yes, he did, but in all of those situations, God was uniquely positioning Joseph to be at the right place at the right time so that he would be there to meet Pharaoh’s need.
Today, if you will believe that God is working for your good, then I would encourage you to look for the hand of God at work. Look for God doing things in your life each day. God is active in our lives both in the times of joy, but also in times of suffering. CS Lewis said, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. If you watch, you will see God daily working. This week, Look for his hand in
• answered prayers - pray specifically, and expect Him to work. Many times we pray, but we don’t really believe God is going to answer. It’s like the community that had a prayer meeting during a drought - they met together to pray for rain - but only one of the men brought an umbrella. When you pray, look for God to answer. Also look for
• evidences of His care - maybe you will see a way God has provided for a special need to be met in a way you would have never expected. About 15 years ago, we were between jobs, living in a farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere in lower Michigan. The closest McDonalds was about 20 minutes away. Money was tight, so we were careful about spending. One day near Christmas we were out at the mall, and Ronda saw cute little hand towels that she wanted to buy. But knowing that we had to make every dollar count, we didn’t get them. She was really discouraged about not being able to get them. But just a few days later a care package came in the mail, and what was in it? Little cute hand towels like Ronda wanted. God often shows evidences of His love and care - even in providing not just for the big necessities of life, but even in the little trivial details. Look for
• unusual linkage or timing - look to see God bringing details all together at exactly the right time. Remember in 1 Samuel 24 - David is running from Saul, who is seeking to take David’s life. Saul comes with 3000 of his best soldiers to find David. David hides out in a cave. Saul can’t find David anywhere. He is tired and weary, and he needs to find a secluded spot to relieve himself. He “just happens” to come into the very cave David and his men are hiding out in. Someone has said that a coincidence is just when God chooses to stay anonymous. David sneaks up, cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe, and after Saul leaves the cave, David comes out to plead with the king. God shows David his presence in David’s life through this unusual timing of the incident.
When I was in high school considering what college to go to, I had visited a college in Indiana I thought I would go to. I came back disappointed, and not knowing where I should go to college. I had visited Bob Jones before for a Bible Conference, but never thought I’d go there. When I got back from my Indiana trip, there were two letters waiting for me. The first an envelope that had two letters inside from two friends at Bob Jones University, whom I hadn’t heard from in months, and they wondered if I had ever considered going to Bob Jones. The second was from Bob Jones III, president of the college, saying he had heard I might be interested in going to a Christian college, and he invited me to visit Bob Jones and check out whether I might be interested in going there. And so, through the unusual timing of those letters, I took that as the hand of God. And fourth, to see God, look for
• help to do God’s work - look for God to raise up others who will come alongside you and help you as you seek to follow God. If you feel God is leading you in a certain direction, look for him to raise up others to join with you in that direction.
This week, look for the hand of God at work in your life.
So, we understand that God is Great, God cares about us, God works for us, but the fourth is the one many fail to understand:
4. God Desires a Friendship With You - Turn to John 15. The whole OT is the record of God’s quest for relationship with his creation. God came down and walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam. Enoch walked with God. So did Noah. Abraham was a friend of God. David was the man after God’s own heart.
God is not a cold, impersonal, aloof God who is inactive in our lives, but rather he cares for us, is involved in our lives, and desires a friendship with us. In John 15 as Jesus is about to leave them, he tells them this in verse 13: Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.
The God of all creation desires to have you for his friend!
A man went to the doctor - he had asparagus hanging out of his nose, his left ear was crammed with pudding, and he had a banana stuck in his eye. The doctor said, I know what your problem is, you’re not eating properly!
There are a lot of Christians like that. We do a lot of things because we think they are a good thing to do. We come to church because it is Sunday, but we don’t draw close to God because we focus on the details, and not on devotion and delight. We say we come to worship -- but it is all about us. The music was too loud - the preaching was too boring - the prayers were too long - the bulletin didn’t mention the special project I worked on last week. And so we come to church, but it is more about worshiping ourselves. We come with a consumer mentality that we want everything to be just the way that I like it to be. We become just like the Pharisee in the parable of the two men who went to the temple to pray. He prayed telling God about all the good things he did.
Or we become like Martha, caught up in all the details of the service. Remember the story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10:38 - As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it--and I won’t take it away from her.”
Martha was consumed with all the little details. She wanted everything to be just right. She was entertaining Jesus. She wanted everything perfect. But Mary was having hospitality. She opened up her home, but she made Jesus feel special. She chose to listen to Jesus, to hang on his every word, to focus on being close to Him.
When we think of God, we understand a creator, we even understand God’s care. But when is the last time you thought of God as your friend? We focus so much on doing but we often forget the idea of being. We say, I need to read my bible, go to church, help my neighbor, do good works. But those are all things we DO. Instead, we need to think about BEING. To be the friend of God, what do I need to be like?
We struggle with this concept of having a friendship with God, because like Adam, often we are ashamed of our lives. We do thing we know we shouldn’t and we want to hide from God. But in spite our our actions, God’s desire is still to have that close, intimate friendship. He doesn’t want us to keep on doing those wrong things, but that doesn’t make God LOVE us any less. Even though it does place barriers in the way of our friendship.
The moment you want to hide from God the most is the very time that you need to run to God, to share your heart with Him. Think back to when you were 4 years old. If you had a good relationship with your father, or grandfather, or whoever you were close to, think how you used to go sit on their lap, hold them close, have them tell you how much they loved you, and you felt safe and secure.
In adulthood, often we come to God with this idea of a creator who is aloof and distant, instead of looking to sit on God’s lap, to tell him about your day, to tell him that you love Him. Think for a moment, if you could talk to God about anything, what would you want to say? We need to get past this idea of God as an impersonal force, but think of Him as our closest friend.
So here’s where all of this brings us. We have a God who is great, who cares about us, who works for our good, and who desires a friendship with us. And when we believe those things to be true, instead of feeling alone and inadequate, we will feel loved and confident and hopeful. We will realize that we can face any situation set before us, because our God is with us. Let’s spend some time today expressing our love to our God. Take a few moments to silently pray, and tell God you love Him, tell Him what is on your heart, and thank Him for being your friend. Let’s spend a few minutes praying silently, and I’ll have a prayer to close our prayer time in a little bit. Let’s pray.
