From Inside A Really Big Empty
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: Because many of us do not recognize our need for God, we find substitutes (sometimes dangerous ones) to fill the vacuum.
Ever want something but you aren't sure what it is? Something is missing and we can't put our finger on it. There is a restlessness we can't explain. Psalm 42 has the answer: "As a deer longs for water, our soul thirsts for God" (vv. 1-2). When our spirits are depressed or we experience emptiness within, our hope and help is in God (vv. 5 and 11). While generally viewed as pessimistic, the book of Ecclesiastes is about this void caused by a missing God. The writer spends considerable time explaining how we seek for meaning in all kinds of things only to find all of them unsatisfying. The first chapter begins with a vivid description of the uselessness and unfulfilling nature of so much of life. Finally, at the end of the book (12:13) we read that there is only one answer: We were created for God.
a. Vacuums must be filled. There are voids in our lives to be filled that we identify as "needs." We need food, purpose, love, companionship, rest, renewal, recreation, goals, and most of all, God. God has created us for relationship. As the great commandment reminds us, we must "love God with all we have and love our neighbor as our self." Physics teaches, "Nature abhors a vacuum." Just as water pours through a hole in the bottom of a boat, whatever is present and possible will rush into an empty space to fill it. This physical law of the universe is paralleled in the spiritual realm. Something will always fill the emptiness:
1. If not love, then hate or indifference.
2. If not righteousness, then evil or greed.
3. If not God, then possessions. We cannot serve two masters ... (Matthew 6:24).
b. We don't know what we are missing. Occasionally someone says, "I don't feel complete." An article told of a young woman who didn't feel "balanced" until she had a large tattoo engraved across most of her back. It probably wasn't long before she felt unbalanced once more and began looking for another false hope. Because we don't always recognize our real needs, we search in strange places. Substitutes, to fill the void created when God is missing include: work (perhaps becoming a workaholic), hobbies, sex, food (overeating), wealth, alcohol and other drugs, some of the many recreational activities (partying, skiing, driving around, video games, and such), and even strange religions.
c. Accept no substitutes. Just because we fill the void doesn't mean we are satisfied. If our stomachs are empty and we fill them with water only, it will not suffice. Sooner or later we must satisfy that emptiness with what is really needed. Jesus tells the parable of the man who thought he would have it all if he just built bigger barns for his crops (Luke 12:16-21). Jesus concluded that he was "not rich in God's sight." Jesus continues by saying clothes, food, nor anything else will be able to satisfy us without God (vv. 22-30). The secret, he said, was to seek first God's kingdom and everything else will find its proper meaning (v. 31). We need
1. the awareness of God's presence for ultimate fulfillment,
2. a faith that answers our needs and questions, and
3. activities that serve others in the name of God.
Ever want something but you aren't sure what it is? Something is missing and we can't put our finger on it. There is a restlessness we can't explain. Psalm 42 has the answer: "As a deer longs for water, our soul thirsts for God" (vv. 1-2). When our spirits are depressed or we experience emptiness within, our hope and help is in God (vv. 5 and 11). While generally viewed as pessimistic, the book of Ecclesiastes is about this void caused by a missing God. The writer spends considerable time explaining how we seek for meaning in all kinds of things only to find all of them unsatisfying. The first chapter begins with a vivid description of the uselessness and unfulfilling nature of so much of life. Finally, at the end of the book (12:13) we read that there is only one answer: We were created for God.
a. Vacuums must be filled. There are voids in our lives to be filled that we identify as "needs." We need food, purpose, love, companionship, rest, renewal, recreation, goals, and most of all, God. God has created us for relationship. As the great commandment reminds us, we must "love God with all we have and love our neighbor as our self." Physics teaches, "Nature abhors a vacuum." Just as water pours through a hole in the bottom of a boat, whatever is present and possible will rush into an empty space to fill it. This physical law of the universe is paralleled in the spiritual realm. Something will always fill the emptiness:
1. If not love, then hate or indifference.
2. If not righteousness, then evil or greed.
3. If not God, then possessions. We cannot serve two masters ... (Matthew 6:24).
b. We don't know what we are missing. Occasionally someone says, "I don't feel complete." An article told of a young woman who didn't feel "balanced" until she had a large tattoo engraved across most of her back. It probably wasn't long before she felt unbalanced once more and began looking for another false hope. Because we don't always recognize our real needs, we search in strange places. Substitutes, to fill the void created when God is missing include: work (perhaps becoming a workaholic), hobbies, sex, food (overeating), wealth, alcohol and other drugs, some of the many recreational activities (partying, skiing, driving around, video games, and such), and even strange religions.
c. Accept no substitutes. Just because we fill the void doesn't mean we are satisfied. If our stomachs are empty and we fill them with water only, it will not suffice. Sooner or later we must satisfy that emptiness with what is really needed. Jesus tells the parable of the man who thought he would have it all if he just built bigger barns for his crops (Luke 12:16-21). Jesus concluded that he was "not rich in God's sight." Jesus continues by saying clothes, food, nor anything else will be able to satisfy us without God (vv. 22-30). The secret, he said, was to seek first God's kingdom and everything else will find its proper meaning (v. 31). We need
1. the awareness of God's presence for ultimate fulfillment,
2. a faith that answers our needs and questions, and
3. activities that serve others in the name of God.
