God Is Working All Around John 17:1-3
INTRO.: Have you ever wanted to know God better and be sure He was working in your life? Most of us want this if we are serious about our Christianity.
I was recently introduced to a book named "Experiencing God" written by Henry Blackaby and Claude King. It is an attempt to guide its readers in their effort to know God. The book points out that knowing God is much more than just knowing about Him. Knowing God means experiencing God working in and through you. It involves a relationship of love.
In the book, Blackaby and King set forth seven "realities of experiencing God," they say are common to all Biblical characters used in a significant way by God. They seven realities are:
1. God is always at work around you.
2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal,
3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the Church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.
The book cites Moses as a prime example of these seven realities at work in the life of one man. The story of his birth and early life is seen in Exodus 2, 3, and 4. Chapter three, which records Moses’ experience at the burning bush is especially important. As I read the book, I found many exciting ideas I’d like to share with you.
Today we begin a series of messages. The title of the series is "Moses and Me" and its aim is be to help you know and do God’s will and experience a personal relationship with God based on love. This, according to the words of Jesus in John 17:3, will enable you to enjoy the abundant life Jesus has to offer and, hopefully, find satisfaction in your Christian walk.
I chose the title, "Moses and Me" because I want each of you to personally examine your Christian experience as it compares to this great man of the Bible. I don’t propose to preach the book, Experiencing God, but to share with you some of the lessons I see in the book. You can buy the book and read it for yourself if you wish.
Now, let’s begin with the first principle, God is always working around you.
I. Let’s look at Moses experience at the burning bush: read Exodus 3:1-10 and notice:
A. The background: Eighty years of Moses’ life has already passed. He is an old man.
1. A member of a slave nation, Moses was reared in the palaces of Egypt as the son of the king’s daughter, educated in the universities of Egypt and given every advantage.
2. At age 40, he kills an Egyptian slave driver and is forced to flee for his life. The next forty years are spent as a shepherd in the land of Midian.
3. Now, at the foot of Mt. Horeb (Sinai) he encounters God in a way that will change his life and catapult him into a position of such importance that men will still be living by his writings 3500 years after his death.
B. The event: Moses’ encounter with the Living God: a fearsome, awe inspiring scene.
1. As he leads his flock in an isolated region, Moses sees a bush burning that is not consumed and curiosity draws him to it. A messenger of God is about to speak to him.
2. The message from God is "I am God. I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have come to rescue them and lead them to a promised land."
3. Then, the frightening, surprising command: So now, go. I am sending YOU to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." Ex. 3:10
C. Laying aside all other details, let’s take note of God working behind the scenes to execute His will. Forgetting what God has done through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, etc., let’s begin with Moses’ early life:
1. It was God Who engineered saving the baby Moses allowing his mother to teach him all the traditions of his own people, and having him learn all the wisdom and knowledge the Egyptians had to offer.
2. God protected Moses in Midian and brought about a political situation in Egypt that allowed Moses to return after forty years.
3. Now, God is in the desert, revealing His will in this miraculous way. God had brought him to this place.
II. Let’s leave Moses for now and consider the life and ministry of Jesus as He summarized it Himself in John 5:17-20
A. Jesus first acknowledges the idea we have been considering: "My Father is always at his work to this very day,"
1. If this were not true, the entire universe would undoubtedly cease to exist. He holds all things together.
2. Moreover, He was working toward the revelation of His will through Jesus and, ultimately, the salvation of all Who will accept salvation.
3. It was the Father Who brought about all the events of Jesus’ life. Further, He is still working in our world today.
B. Then, in verse 19, He acknowledges his complete dependence upon the Father.
1. We have read of Jesus doing marvelous things, yet, He says He can do nothing by Himself.
2. If Jesus is so dependent on the Father, then certainly we are also.
3. God is working through Jesus by the power of His Holy Spirit.
4. Jesus watches to see what the Father is doing and does the same things.
C. In verse 20, He shows what makes this possible:
1. It is a relationship of mutual love between Himself and the Father.
2. Because of this love, the Father keeps no secrets from His son.
3. Jesus is able to know just what the Father is already doing and adjust His own activities accordingly.
III. Let’s consider our present day relationship with God:
A. God is also working all around us:
1. Sometimes it is very hard for us to realize He is because we don’t look for His handiwork.
2. We know He sustains the world and our lives, but we don’t always see Him working in the everyday affairs of life.
3. There are some things happening only God can do. That’s where we see Him if we are alert to Him.
4. A recent example is the growth of our Church. Several families who "just dropped in to visit" have become part of our Church family. They didn’t come just as a result of coincidence. God arranged these things.
B. He also wants to work His will through us:
1. I believe God has an assignment for each of us. A place for us to fill in His scheme of things. If we will accept His assignments, He will enable us to complete them.
2. Along with our new life, God has given us a new purpose in life - to represent His Kingdom in the world we live in. II Cor. 5:17-20
3. Everything is of God. We can’t do it alone. Even Jesus couldn’t.
C. Wouldn’t it be wise to find out what God is doing and join Him rather than make our own assessments and plans?
1. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what works, when, and where it will work.
2. The Bible is full of examples of people who, having discovered what God was doing, fell into step with Him and accomplished great things for Him. We’ll be talking about some of them in the weeks to come.
CONC.: Once again, consider Moses. He has a perfectly good job. He is a shepherd. No doubt a good one. He works for his father in law. He has security. He is keeping sheep.
Then God says, "Here is what I’m doing." Exod. 3:7, 8. God is rescuing a nation, and He has an assignment for Moses. Moses reluctantly lines his sets his heart to do what God is doing. He receives his assignment. He makes his mark in human history when he discovers what God is doing and allows God to do it through him.
Look around. What is God doing in your neck of the woods? He may very well have an assignment for you and it may be something totally unexpected. Are you ready? This week let’s make it a matter of prayer that God may reveal to us what He is doing. Ask Him to give us opportunities to allow Him to work through us.
I believe God is working here at Forest Grove to bring souls into His Kingdom. Will you join Him in His work?
