God is Great! Great Personality

There is a story of a Scottish woman who earned a modest living by peddling her wares along the roads of her country. Each day she would travel about, and when she came to an intersection, she would toss a stick in the air. Whichever way the stick was pointed was the way she went. On one occasion an old man stood across the road from her as she tossed the stick into the air once, twice, three times. Finally the old man asked, “Why are you throwing that stick like that?”

I’m letting God show me which way to go by using this stick,” She said.

“Then why did you throw it three times?” the old man asked.

“Because the first two times, He was pointing me in the wrong direction,” was her reply}

So what is God like? Can we somehow manipulate him into doing what we want? 

2 Misconceptions:

(1) God “cosmic-kill-joy”

(2) God “sweet docile grandfather that’s indulgent”

(I’m trying to avoid an academic study of God & his attributes. This is not for knowledge only but to know HIM.)

Before we talk Personality let’s talk to SPIRITUALITY    (John 4:21-24)

God is spirit

·        No limit by a body (we struggle with body image and issues)

·        No limit by geographical location (4:21, Acts 17: 24 “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.”)

o   Cannot box in the power of God 

o   He is indestructible

Personality of our God

Ex: Hold personality because he is personal

(Consider the world religions – Hinduism (polytheistic) yet part of the Brahma – seeking Nirvana: place to cease striving & rest.) 

Jesus said – “come to me and find rest”

 God is personal

·        Individual being –Exodus 3:14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.

o   Hold a self consciousness

o   Holds a will (the will)

·        Capable Being

o   Feeling (Jealous God)

o   Choosing (Jacob I have chosen)

o   Social Relationships (reciprocal)

§  Spoke with Moses face to face as a friend speaks

§  Incarnation: Jesus lived this out – consider the wedding party

·        Holds a Name – Exodus 3:14

o   Psalm 20: 7, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

o   Communicates his name

o   Characterized by his name  

§  Elohim, El Elyon, Jehovah, Jehovah Rapha 

·        He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End!

·        He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!

·        He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times

Bring to us: (1) You can approach God

·        He is not a machine, Gov’t agency, or genie in a bottle

·        He holds deep affection & relationships

·        Hymn: He walks with me and talks with me

(2) You can love him for what he is, not for what he can do for you

{Country Road running yesterday with the old dogs chasing me…}

For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Isaiah 52:12

He always was, He always is, and He always will be…
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!

Do You know why you are here?

Do You know Why you are here? Joshua 8:30-35

Standing beside the Savannah River one day I thought about the fact that the water I saw came from somewhere else (so where did it come from?) and it was going somewhere (So where was it going?) but I was looking at it right then (so what was it there for?)

These are three foundational questions of Life…

1) Where did I come from? Origin

2) Where am I going? Destiny & Eternity

3) Why Am I Here? Purpose

 

 Every once in a while we need to stop and consider these.

This is what Joshua was directed to do by the Lord for the people on Mount Ebal… time to ask and answer & time to refresh and remind - Do you know why you are here?   

Rewind (8:30-31) 

30 Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31 as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings

Altar built on Ebal, the mountain of cursing. A reminder of sin, and its consequences.  Pro. 13:15 - Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard.

The burnt offerings had to do with sin.

The peace offerings had to do with fellowship.

The Law says, “Thou shalt not.” But, God knows that we will!

The grace of God is still the only hope we have!

By the way, the altar was built before the Law was read. A means of cleansing was provided before the problem of sin was highlighted.

Remind  (8:34)

And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.

Absolute Truth

They were agreeing that the Law was the standard to live by for them 

Acceptable Teaching (Discipleship)

They were committing to teach the Law to their children to further the blessings

Application to Life

They were planning on obeying the Law of God personally

Refresh (8:33)

They were surrounded so they had to surrender… 

not to the enemy but God! Took faith

...Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, 

They were summoned so they had to surrender...

not to court but the presence of God (The Ark was there in the midst of them)  

Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them...

We need to reach the place where nothing is more important than living our lives as a statement of active, visible worship to His glory!

Rom. 12:1-2

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

There is still a place of surrender, sacrifice and service for all those who want the blessing of God on their lives. Where are you?

We are put here to make a difference in the lives of people… everyday!

What you need to go to the next level!

Do you want to go to the next level? Whatever that means! For me this means being the man God intended for me to be. Recently I spoke on the subject of promises. The Psalms are full of these promises. I'm drawn to Psalm 89:3 - But I will never stop loving him nor fail to keep my promise to him. 


While speaking I was reminded of the movie Second Hand Lions (it's a coming of age film about a young boy being reluctantly raised by two old bachelor uncles). One of my favorite scenes is the fight at the soda shop between Uncle Hub and four rowdy teens. And yes the old warrior Uncle whoops 'em good.

Then the old tough uncle brings the boys home and gives a speech they needed  “The everything you to know to be a man speech” Later he gives part of the speech to his young nephew – and promises later to give him all of it.. Hub McCann to Walter:

" Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good. That honor, courage and virtue mean everything ; that power and money ... money and power mean nothing. That good always triumphs over evil. And I want you to remember this.... that love....true love never dies ! Remember that boy ... remember that. Doesn't matter if it is true or not, a man should believe in those things , because those are the things worth believing in...... got that ? "

I've added to this for my boys (who are now men) to include these truths to live up to:

• Integrity always matters!   
• Honesty is the essential ingredient in manhood. You loose honesty and you will never gain it back. 
• Consistent is about the habits we've developed when no one was looking.  
• Dependable always be one others can depend on – therein lies the secrets of leadership. 

You wish to be at the next level? That will get you there every time. 

Psalm 119:50 - Your promise revives me; 

it comforts me in all my troubles. 

Psalm 146: 6 - He made heaven and earth, the sea, 

and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.