The Pursuing God
Commentary
How many times do you hear people speak of God and give you the idea that God is a bit stingy with his gifts and wants to make us beg? It is as if they picture him standing with his hands behind his back and waiting for us to do his bidding and measure up before he will deliver the goodies. Others speak of him as though he were our personal heavenly bellhop, ever ready when we pull his chain to come and carry out our wishes. There are other images that you have in mind and what they all do is to picture a God who is difficult to approach and who is removed from us by a great gulf that cannot be closed.
It seems to me that those who picture God in such a manner have managed to miss the real God of the Bible. For them he seems distant and hidden and threatening. While they are trying to find ways to placate their God image, they miss the real God who is standing on center stage, waving his arms, and trying to get their attention.
The Old Testament begins with God approaching the transgressors in the book of Genesis with a question, "Where are you?" The New Testament ends in the book of Revelation with an invitation, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone opens I will come in and sup with him and he with me."
Once, when I was preaching on this concept of grace, I had a rather well-informed church member come to me at the end of the service and, with tongue in cheek, I think, said that if I continued to preach about grace in such a manner I would never raise enough money to fund the church. I think that she intended to say that guilt seems to raise more money than grace. In all likelihood Luther had something meaningful in mind when he said that we ought to preach grace but that it was a mighty dangerous thing to do. I persist in my theme, however, because I recall a quotation from somewhere that says "scared religion ain't worth a damn."
OUTLINE I
The Greatest God of All
Psalm 77:11-20
Introduction: While Israel was not a worshiper of nature, it is clear that they perceived the presence of God all about them. His order, beauty, and providence were seen everywhere. It is important to note that while they were often tempted to be involved in fertility cults, their spiritual leaders were always calling them away from such flirtations. You can imagine how tempting such things must have been when they came from slavery to the Promised Land and did not know much about farming. Those who had lived there for a long time were devotees of the Baals, lords of the earth and heaven and sky, lords who could or could not give their crops and their animals fertility. It was as risky to ignore their rituals as it would be today to ignore the latest word from an "A and M School" on agriculture. Still, for them it was a religious matter and, while they did fall victim to such temptations from time to time, they never did give in fully. What they were taught was to see the mighty works of God on earth.
A. Verses 11-15 focus on God and his mighty works of the past. His omnipotence is set forth in a question, "What god is great like our God?"
B. In Verses 16-20 we have a replay of God's wonderful acts during the Exodus from Egypt. Here we have not history but poetry. Poetry is more likely to plumb the depths of feelings and wonder than history. Poetry is generally exaggeration for a purpose. By it we are enabled to see beyond the profane and to perceive the sacred.
Conclusion: There are always those in the church who want to be realists, who wish that we would not exaggerate so much, that our talk would not sound so aesthetic. The writers of the Psalms never hesitated at either point. Sometimes our singing in our congregation borders on the selfish and ridiculous. The great hymns of the church have lasted because they have plumbed the depths of experience and speak to the heart. Gather poetic examples from here and there in the Psalms and other sources and show your hearers how this takes place.
OUTLINE II
When God Withdraws
Hosea 4:1-3, 5:15--6:6
Introduction: Hosea, along with Amos is a mid-eight century B.C. prophet who comes to speak to the Northern Kingdom about its apostasy and evildoing. Take time to read the entire book before preaching on this text. There is much there that sounds quite contemporary. The lesson for today breaks easily into three parts.
A. The Charge. Everything is tainted because of the unfaithfulness of the people. One cannot but think of the pollution of our own world when verse 3 is read. The very land mourns, birds no longer sing, beasts do not roam and the fish are gone. You can make contemporary application here.
B. God's Withdrawal. God distances himself from such people. Finally they will come to nothing and perhaps his absence will speak to them and turn them back. Surely this lesson sunk in because there were those in Babylon who saw this dimension of God's call. They thought themselves outside the land in which God lived. See Psalm 137.
C. The Broken Heart. "What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?" Their faithfulness was without constancy. Here was a people who imagined that so long as they observed the cult, all would be well. Hosea is in the tradition of the great prophets who called the people to an inner faithfulness matched by an outer life. Judgment here is seen as God's way of getting their attention and turning them back to him.
Conclusion: One can surely wax strongly in applying what is written here to the contemporary scene. Isn't it interesting that there is little that is new in any age? The Scriptures address problems that are universal and they offer solutions that can be had in any place. In these lines we see ourselves. The pages of the Bible are a mirror in which we behold our own likeness in the lives of others and hear the messages they heard that speak of God's grace, of the God who will not rest until we are his, of the God who pursues us into every place of life and seeks to make us his own.
OUTLINE III
All Heaven Rejoices
Luke 15:1-10
Introduction: If I were to be denied access to all of the Scriptures but one chapter, I would choose Luke 15. Here the carelessly lost (sheep), the accidentally lost (coin), and the intentionally lost (son) are addressed. In this chapter Luke places his finger on the heart of the Gospel. Here we discover echoes of the God of the Old Testament. Check out Genesis 3:8-9, 20.
A. Motivation. Sometimes we are tempted to scare people out of hell and into heaven with threats from God. What interests me are the number of times when God is pictured as one who is in constant pursuit and broken-hearted over those who flee him. Check out The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson.
B. Here is a man who as shepherd is entrusted with the care of the sheep of the community. If he owned 100 sheep, he would in all likelihood not be a shepherd. His was a great trust. On his shoulders rested the welfare of the community. His reputation is at stake. Ninety-nine are in and safe. He is not careless. Such a shepherd would have left them in the care of his assistant. Then he goes out and seeks the lost sheep and brings it home. Of course, the other two stories in this chapter make the same point, but what is important to note is the completing refrain in each story that tells of the joy in heaven when one sinner repents. That joy is shared by all in heaven. Can you imagine God throwing a party every time one is saved and angels twirling one another in the light fantastic on heaven's lawn? Use your imagination and what you preach will sell better.
C. Psalm 23. Here is an opportunity to pick this beloved Psalm out of the Old Testament and relate it to this parable. Do your homework and learn about shepherds and sheep and this sermon can come alive with meaning.
It seems to me that those who picture God in such a manner have managed to miss the real God of the Bible. For them he seems distant and hidden and threatening. While they are trying to find ways to placate their God image, they miss the real God who is standing on center stage, waving his arms, and trying to get their attention.
The Old Testament begins with God approaching the transgressors in the book of Genesis with a question, "Where are you?" The New Testament ends in the book of Revelation with an invitation, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone opens I will come in and sup with him and he with me."
Once, when I was preaching on this concept of grace, I had a rather well-informed church member come to me at the end of the service and, with tongue in cheek, I think, said that if I continued to preach about grace in such a manner I would never raise enough money to fund the church. I think that she intended to say that guilt seems to raise more money than grace. In all likelihood Luther had something meaningful in mind when he said that we ought to preach grace but that it was a mighty dangerous thing to do. I persist in my theme, however, because I recall a quotation from somewhere that says "scared religion ain't worth a damn."
OUTLINE I
The Greatest God of All
Psalm 77:11-20
Introduction: While Israel was not a worshiper of nature, it is clear that they perceived the presence of God all about them. His order, beauty, and providence were seen everywhere. It is important to note that while they were often tempted to be involved in fertility cults, their spiritual leaders were always calling them away from such flirtations. You can imagine how tempting such things must have been when they came from slavery to the Promised Land and did not know much about farming. Those who had lived there for a long time were devotees of the Baals, lords of the earth and heaven and sky, lords who could or could not give their crops and their animals fertility. It was as risky to ignore their rituals as it would be today to ignore the latest word from an "A and M School" on agriculture. Still, for them it was a religious matter and, while they did fall victim to such temptations from time to time, they never did give in fully. What they were taught was to see the mighty works of God on earth.
A. Verses 11-15 focus on God and his mighty works of the past. His omnipotence is set forth in a question, "What god is great like our God?"
B. In Verses 16-20 we have a replay of God's wonderful acts during the Exodus from Egypt. Here we have not history but poetry. Poetry is more likely to plumb the depths of feelings and wonder than history. Poetry is generally exaggeration for a purpose. By it we are enabled to see beyond the profane and to perceive the sacred.
Conclusion: There are always those in the church who want to be realists, who wish that we would not exaggerate so much, that our talk would not sound so aesthetic. The writers of the Psalms never hesitated at either point. Sometimes our singing in our congregation borders on the selfish and ridiculous. The great hymns of the church have lasted because they have plumbed the depths of experience and speak to the heart. Gather poetic examples from here and there in the Psalms and other sources and show your hearers how this takes place.
OUTLINE II
When God Withdraws
Hosea 4:1-3, 5:15--6:6
Introduction: Hosea, along with Amos is a mid-eight century B.C. prophet who comes to speak to the Northern Kingdom about its apostasy and evildoing. Take time to read the entire book before preaching on this text. There is much there that sounds quite contemporary. The lesson for today breaks easily into three parts.
A. The Charge. Everything is tainted because of the unfaithfulness of the people. One cannot but think of the pollution of our own world when verse 3 is read. The very land mourns, birds no longer sing, beasts do not roam and the fish are gone. You can make contemporary application here.
B. God's Withdrawal. God distances himself from such people. Finally they will come to nothing and perhaps his absence will speak to them and turn them back. Surely this lesson sunk in because there were those in Babylon who saw this dimension of God's call. They thought themselves outside the land in which God lived. See Psalm 137.
C. The Broken Heart. "What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?" Their faithfulness was without constancy. Here was a people who imagined that so long as they observed the cult, all would be well. Hosea is in the tradition of the great prophets who called the people to an inner faithfulness matched by an outer life. Judgment here is seen as God's way of getting their attention and turning them back to him.
Conclusion: One can surely wax strongly in applying what is written here to the contemporary scene. Isn't it interesting that there is little that is new in any age? The Scriptures address problems that are universal and they offer solutions that can be had in any place. In these lines we see ourselves. The pages of the Bible are a mirror in which we behold our own likeness in the lives of others and hear the messages they heard that speak of God's grace, of the God who will not rest until we are his, of the God who pursues us into every place of life and seeks to make us his own.
OUTLINE III
All Heaven Rejoices
Luke 15:1-10
Introduction: If I were to be denied access to all of the Scriptures but one chapter, I would choose Luke 15. Here the carelessly lost (sheep), the accidentally lost (coin), and the intentionally lost (son) are addressed. In this chapter Luke places his finger on the heart of the Gospel. Here we discover echoes of the God of the Old Testament. Check out Genesis 3:8-9, 20.
A. Motivation. Sometimes we are tempted to scare people out of hell and into heaven with threats from God. What interests me are the number of times when God is pictured as one who is in constant pursuit and broken-hearted over those who flee him. Check out The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson.
B. Here is a man who as shepherd is entrusted with the care of the sheep of the community. If he owned 100 sheep, he would in all likelihood not be a shepherd. His was a great trust. On his shoulders rested the welfare of the community. His reputation is at stake. Ninety-nine are in and safe. He is not careless. Such a shepherd would have left them in the care of his assistant. Then he goes out and seeks the lost sheep and brings it home. Of course, the other two stories in this chapter make the same point, but what is important to note is the completing refrain in each story that tells of the joy in heaven when one sinner repents. That joy is shared by all in heaven. Can you imagine God throwing a party every time one is saved and angels twirling one another in the light fantastic on heaven's lawn? Use your imagination and what you preach will sell better.
C. Psalm 23. Here is an opportunity to pick this beloved Psalm out of the Old Testament and relate it to this parable. Do your homework and learn about shepherds and sheep and this sermon can come alive with meaning.
