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No one has ever seen God, but people have seen Jesus and Jesus shows us the nature of God. According the prophetic foresight of Isaiah we know something of what Jesus looks like.
JESUS HAS A STRONG FACE, Isaiah 50:7
JESUS HAS A SYMPATHETIC FACE, 53:3-4
JESUS HAS A SCARRED FACE, 52:14
JESUS HAS A STOIC FACE, 53:14
JESUS HAS A SAVING FACE, 45:22.
According to 2 Peter, false teachers do the following:
They invade the church, 2:1, 13
They deceive many, 2:3
They deny the deity of Jesus, 2:1
They twist scripture, 3:15; (1:20)
They are greedy for gain, 2:14-15
They are immoral, 2:3, 10, 14, 18
They speak evil, 2:10, 12, 18; 3:3-4
They are rebellious, 2:10
They make false promises, 2;17, 19
They will be destroyed, 2:1, 3, 9, 12.
Saint Augustine said, “God provides the wind, man must raise the sail.”
In scripture the sounding of the ram’s horn, the shofar, was associated with two events. Every Hebrew knew when they heard the trumpet blast it was important. One of two things were about to happen.
A going forth in war
A gathering for worship
When Jesus returns there will be a trumpet blast signaling two events, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Heavenly Angels bringing judgment on the wicked.
Psalm 51 tells of David’s restoration to ministry. He gives us a roadmap for us to get back in the game.
There must be honesty about personal sin. This is so unusual because the normal thing is to blame others. We’ve got to own up to our sin and David does that. Notice how many times David says “me” and “my.” Will you and I do the same or will continue to make excuses and scapegoat others?
There must be confidence in God’s cleansing power. Notice the many cleansing verbs in this Psalm, blot, cleanse, wash, restore, purge, renew. Based on the perfect shed blood of Jesus, God alone has the power to remove guilt and shame regardless of how heinous our sins may be.
There must be an emphasis on inner purity. David’s real problem was not dirty hands or feet, bu inner corruption and that’s where we struggle too. Jesus is more concerned about our inner life than our outer show. God desires “truth in the inward parts.” This includes the heart and the spirit of a person. Outwardly we may appear clean and decent, but God is probing deep into our thoughts and affections. He wants these to be cleaned up.
David was able to come back after his moral fall. The Psalm ends with him singing, teaching, and worshiping. You and I also can come back after we have fallen. Be honest about your sin, believe that God can cleanse you, and invite the Holy Spirit to probe deep within your being.
God told Abram He would give him the land of Canaan. What a moment that must have been! A promise from God, and a destiny awaiting!
What about you, has God ever given you a glimpse into your preferred future? Do you have a sense that God wants to do something bigger and better in your life? If so, how should you respond? Notice how Abram responded and learn.
WHEN GOD REVEALS YOUR DESTINY, THANK HIM. The first thing Abram did was worship. He built an altar and expressed his love and reverence for the great God that had led him thus far. By faith he adored the Lord and thanked him for the promises given. But them, he moved to the particulars.
WHEN GOD REVEALS YOUR DESTINY, ASK HIM. The Bible says after his worship Abram called upon the Lord. No doubt questions filled his mind, “How Lord can I assume possession of this land since there are peope living here? What is my course of action?!”
The above convesation between God and Abram is based on Genesis 12:6-8. And here’s the big take-away.
Normal humans ask questions, then gain confidence. But God’s people express faith and then ask quesions. In other words, we are to advance by faith, not by knowledge. We thank God in advance then we get the answers for next steps.
A good questrion every preacher should ask is, “Who is the hero of my sermon, Jesus or me?” Far too often preachers boast about their family, their vacation, their heroics, their courage, their generosity, their cleverness, etc. “Me, me, me.” This type of preaching leaves hearers empty. It is totally uninspiring.
Consider the following;
“But when [Uzziah] was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction” (2 Ch 26:16).
“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6).
“I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another” (Is 42:8).
Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” (Jn 12:32).
Make much of Jesus, not yourself. True Christian preachng is all about exalting and magnifying the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is never to be self-indulgent or self-serving!
Maybe we need to get back to praying the way the old preachers used to pray, “God, hide me behind the cross.”
David is a type and shadow of Jesus in many ways. From 1 Samuel 16-17, observe the following truths about both Jesus and David.
Born in Bethlehem in an atmospbere of fear
A most unlikely hero, He is sent by His Father
Annointed by God
He leaves home, initally to comfort, later for conquest
Favored by the people and giving gifts from the Father
Rejected by his own
Demonstrates unflappable courage and faith
He represents the people
Fights the evil forces with unconventional weapons
By winning a tremendous victory, He inspires God’s people
THE FOUR CALLS
The question, “Why will I seek first the kingdom of God?” may be answered because you heard the four calls.
1. The CALL from ABOVE
When Isaiah’s sin is purged he begins to hear the call of God. We may need to confess our sin before God (1 John 1:9) to be able to hear His call. Can you hear God calling you to join Him in the harvest fields?
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah 6:8
2. The CALL from BELOW
If we could open up Hell we would hear the cries and calls from the Lost dead. They would be calling out to us to go and warn our families. The question is sometimes asked, “If the gospel is true what about my Hindu father, mother, grandmother, etc who has died without Jesus”? I would tell such a person that if they could speak to you now they would cry out to you to repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ alone. They would want someone to warn you of the place where they are. Can you hear their cries?
The rich man said to Abraham “I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.” Luke 16:27-28
3. The CALL from WITHIN
The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of sin, instructs us in righteousness, and burdens us for the Lost. He gives us God’s burden for a lost world. Only as we are sensitive to His leading will we hear His call. But once we hear Him we will not be able to escape His call. Do you share His burden?
“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily,
I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.” 1 Corinthians 9:16-17
4. The CALL from WITHOUT
God is the One who is seeking to save the Lost. He is the One who draws people to Himself with conviction of sin. As God is at work among a people they begin to call out for someone to share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ.
“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Acts 16:9-10
~ source John Charping
Jesus said because He was going to the Father we would be able to do “greater works” (John 14:12). How is it possible to do greater works than those of Jesus?
Greater works are possible because the Spirit of God is now always present. Jesus said it was good that He went away so that He would send the Spirit to His followers. Unlike Jesus in bodily form, the Spirit can now be with each of us personally, at all times.
Greater works are possible because the Son of God is now always praying. Jesus, now at this very moment, is seated at the Father’s right-hand where He ever lives to make intercession for us. He is our Advocate!
Because of the eternal ministry of the Son and the Spirit we can do works greater than even those accomplished by Jesus when He walked the earth.