[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 27th of July, 2014.]
Our message text today comes from the Apostle Paul’s sermon to the Areopagus in Athens, as recorded by Luke in his Book of Acts, chapter 17, verses 24 through 31…
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ 29 Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”
Let us pray... Father, sometimes when we seek Your face, we can’t help but wonder where You are. We come before You today in the name of Jesus Christ to examine that question, and to look at why we would even ask it. Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of each of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. In the sweet name of Jesus we pray. Amen.--Acts 17:24-31 (NASB)
A pastor phoned the home of some recent visitors to his church. A voice on the other end of the phone answered with a whispered “Hello”. The pastor asked, “Who is this?” The whispered voice said, “Jimmy”. The pastor asked, “How old are you, Jimmy?” The voice replied, “Four”. The pastor then asked, “Jimmy, can I please speak to your Mom?” “She’s busy”, Jimmy answered. “Then can I please speak to your Dad?” “He’s busy.” “Are there any other adults in your home?” “The police.” “Then let me speak to one of the police officers.” “They’re busy.” “Jimmy, who else is there?” “Firemen.” “Well, can you put one of the firemen on the phone?” “They’re busy.” “Jimmy, what are they all so busy doing?” “They’re all busy looking for me!”
Like little Jimmy, many people spend a lot of time hiding. They’re hiding from parents and police. They’re hiding from bosses and spouses. They’re hiding from the things they don’t want to do. And in too many instances, they’re hiding from God, or at least trying to.
So why do we hide? Because we’ve done something wrong? Because we’re trying to avoid something, or someone? Because we think we can get away with it?
But Paul tells us in verse 27 that God is not far off. In fact, Paul says in verse 28 that it is in God that we live and move and exist. In God we live and exist. In God we move, we are animated.
Paul was not really saying anything new. The prophet Jeremiah, giving God voice, made this declaration long before Paul came on the scene. In his book, chapter 23, verses 23 through 24, Jeremiah tells us…
23 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord,--Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NASB)
“And not a God far off?
24 “Can a man hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.
See? I’m not the only one who asks a lot of questions.
God declares He is not far off, but is near. He fills the heavens and the earth. That makes it a little tough to hide from Him, doesn’t it? According to God as spoken through Jeremiah, there is no place we can go, no place we can hide, where He cannot see us.
King David confirms this for us, in the 7th verse of Psalm 139…
God declares He is not far off, but is near. He fills the heavens and the earth. That makes it a little tough to hide from Him, doesn’t it? According to God as spoken through Jeremiah, there is no place we can go, no place we can hide, where He cannot see us.
King David confirms this for us, in the 7th verse of Psalm 139…
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
--Psalm 139:7 (NASB)
So have we answered our question of where is God? Is all we have left to do now is pray and go to lunch?
There’s a little more to Paul’s sermon that we need to look at before we can be completely satisfied with our answer. Paul also tells us where God is not. Right at the start of today’s text, in verse 24, Paul says God does not live in temples made by human hands. For that matter, in verse 25 Paul assures us God has no need of even being served by human hands. He doesn’t need anything at all! Let’s face it: God created everything – what could He possibly need that He couldn’t just create for Himself?
But again, Paul is simply restating what God has already said. In his book, chapter 66, verses 1 and 2, the prophet Isaiah tells us…
1 Thus says the Lord,--Isaiah 66:1-2 (NASB)
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
2 “For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord.
“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
I love the last half of the 2nd verse, where God assures us He will pay attention to those who are humble and contrite of spirit. Where else do we receive this message? From His Son, Jesus. And in a number of places in our New Testament. But perhaps the most beautiful instance comes from the section of His Sermon on the Mount that we call the Beatitudes, as recorded by Matthew in chapter 5 of his Gospel, verses 1 through 12.
So, we know that God is not necessarily in any temple or church building built by human hands. We also know He is not far off, but is near. Near enough so that if we would just grope for Him, we might find Him. Paul says that, right there in verse 27 of our scripture. That reminds me of the old saying that even a blind hog will find an acorn every now and then. An acorn would be a prize for a hog, just as we should consider God our greatest prize. And folks, too often we are indeed blind, or we have been at one point or another in our lives. For those of us who really get and understand the message of the Gospel, the scales have been lifted from our eyes just as they were from Paul, and now we can truly see. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see. God has overlooked our times of ignorance, our blindness. Paul assures us of this in verse 30. And He will forgive us when we repent.
Which brings us to a very stern warning that we need to take another look at. In verse 30, Paul cautions us that God is declaring to all mankind, to people everywhere, that the time to repent is now. And in verse 31 he tells us why we should heed his warning…
God will judge the world. Is that something we dread and would like to hide from? Or maybe we can just hide some of our actions so as to get by and not be judged on them? Not very likely. In Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 14, King Solomon shatters that bubble of hope…
Every action we’ve ever taken, every act we committed, whether good or evil, will be laid bare before God. We can’t hide anything from Him – not our actions, not our deeds, not our selves. God has set a trial date for us, for all of mankind, when we will be judged. He has appointed the One who will stand as Judge over us. That Man is Jesus, the One about whom God Himself furnished proof to all of mankind by raising Him from the dead, just as Paul explains there in verse 31.
Jesus provides more detail of just what to expect on that fixed day, in His Revelation to John, chapter 20, verses 12 through 15…
I for one do not want to experience that second death: the lake of fire. I know I will be judged. And since I can’t hide any of my actions or deeds, I know I will have some things… well… a lot of things to answer to Jesus for. But I also know my name is written in the Book of Life so I will be spared that second death.
What about you? Is your name written in the Book of Life?
Now I won’t pretend to fully know the heart of each person here, but I feel confident that most of the names in our attendance books today are indeed also written in God’s Book of Life. But how do you know for sure? How am I sure my name is written down in the most important of books ever known to man?
It’s simple, really. All we have to do to answer that question is to answer the one I first posed: where is God?
Is He high on a mountaintop? Is He in a temple or a church? Is He sitting on His throne in heaven with His feet resting on the earth?
Well, yes, yes, and yes, since God is everywhere.
But most importantly, and the one place He must be for me to avoid the lake of fire for all eternity, God is right here within me. God dwells in me, in my soul and in my heart. Paul and Jeremiah said God is not far off but is near. Well, you can’t get any nearer to me than right here within me.
When we truly and fully accept Jesus as our Lord and Master, when we surrender our lives to Him, when we repent of our evil and sinful lives and follow only Christ Jesus, He sends the Holy Spirit to live within us, to be our constant, faithful, and sure Companion. The Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of our Triune God. God is within me.
So I’ll ask again, and this is a question you really should be able to answer with complete confidence and assurance.
Where is God?
Your answer must be “God is within me”. If you are unsure, if you do not know without a doubt that the Holy Spirit is in you, please come talk to me. If you’re not sure, now’s the time to recommit to Jesus. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord, now is the time to do so. There may not be a “tomorrow” to put it off to.
Where is God?
Amen.
Let us pray… O mighty God, Your holy Word tells us You are everywhere - in heaven and on earth. You are not a God that is far off. You are near. So near that nothing can be hidden where You cannot see it, nothing can be kept from Your view. You know our deeds, both good and bad. You can see to the deepest, darkest corners of our hearts. You know even what we try to hide from ourselves.
Thank You, Father, for overlooking our time of ignorance, even though we at times point out the faults of those around us. Forgive us, Lord, our sinful ways even when we are unforgiving of others. Be merciful even when we fail to extend mercy.
Be patient with us, Father, as we struggle with doubts and worries. Listen to us now as we speak to You from our hearts.
If any of you, my brothers and sisters, urgently sense the need to recommit to your Christ Jesus, or if you have never surrendered yourself to Him, speak these words to Him now from your heart, as we pray…
Lord Jesus, thank You so much for the great sacrifice You made for me. You took a terrible beating, You bled, and You died on that cross just to defeat death so I might not have to suffer that second death. My dearest Jesus, I willingly accept You as my Lord and Master. I recognize You as the one true Son of God and my only Savior. Forgive me, blessed Jesus, for I have sinned. I have not lived my life to the fullest in Your holy name. Jesus, I turn my back on my evil ways. Help me please to not return to them. I surrender all to You, O Lord. Give me the strength and courage to stay ever committed to You, to fight the good fight, to finish the race. Accept me now, Father God, as Your adopted child and fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may live in Your house for ever and ever. In the blessed name of Jesus I pray.
And now dear Lord, please listen to the pleadings of our hearts here in the silence, as we confess our sins to You and repent, and seek Your forgiveness…
Now my brothers and sisters, know that our merciful Father loves you, that He has forgiven you, and that His Holy Spirit now abides within you. Father, we thank You and we pray to You in the precious name of Christ Jesus, our Redeemer and our Salvation. Amen.
So, we know that God is not necessarily in any temple or church building built by human hands. We also know He is not far off, but is near. Near enough so that if we would just grope for Him, we might find Him. Paul says that, right there in verse 27 of our scripture. That reminds me of the old saying that even a blind hog will find an acorn every now and then. An acorn would be a prize for a hog, just as we should consider God our greatest prize. And folks, too often we are indeed blind, or we have been at one point or another in our lives. For those of us who really get and understand the message of the Gospel, the scales have been lifted from our eyes just as they were from Paul, and now we can truly see. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see. God has overlooked our times of ignorance, our blindness. Paul assures us of this in verse 30. And He will forgive us when we repent.
Which brings us to a very stern warning that we need to take another look at. In verse 30, Paul cautions us that God is declaring to all mankind, to people everywhere, that the time to repent is now. And in verse 31 he tells us why we should heed his warning…
31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”--Acts 17:31 (NASB)
God will judge the world. Is that something we dread and would like to hide from? Or maybe we can just hide some of our actions so as to get by and not be judged on them? Not very likely. In Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 14, King Solomon shatters that bubble of hope…
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.--Ecclesiastes 12:14 (NASB)
Jesus provides more detail of just what to expect on that fixed day, in His Revelation to John, chapter 20, verses 12 through 15…
12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.--Revelation 20:12-15 (NASB)
What about you? Is your name written in the Book of Life?
Now I won’t pretend to fully know the heart of each person here, but I feel confident that most of the names in our attendance books today are indeed also written in God’s Book of Life. But how do you know for sure? How am I sure my name is written down in the most important of books ever known to man?
It’s simple, really. All we have to do to answer that question is to answer the one I first posed: where is God?
Is He high on a mountaintop? Is He in a temple or a church? Is He sitting on His throne in heaven with His feet resting on the earth?
Well, yes, yes, and yes, since God is everywhere.
But most importantly, and the one place He must be for me to avoid the lake of fire for all eternity, God is right here within me. God dwells in me, in my soul and in my heart. Paul and Jeremiah said God is not far off but is near. Well, you can’t get any nearer to me than right here within me.
When we truly and fully accept Jesus as our Lord and Master, when we surrender our lives to Him, when we repent of our evil and sinful lives and follow only Christ Jesus, He sends the Holy Spirit to live within us, to be our constant, faithful, and sure Companion. The Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of our Triune God. God is within me.
So I’ll ask again, and this is a question you really should be able to answer with complete confidence and assurance.
Where is God?
Your answer must be “God is within me”. If you are unsure, if you do not know without a doubt that the Holy Spirit is in you, please come talk to me. If you’re not sure, now’s the time to recommit to Jesus. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord, now is the time to do so. There may not be a “tomorrow” to put it off to.
Where is God?
Amen.
Let us pray… O mighty God, Your holy Word tells us You are everywhere - in heaven and on earth. You are not a God that is far off. You are near. So near that nothing can be hidden where You cannot see it, nothing can be kept from Your view. You know our deeds, both good and bad. You can see to the deepest, darkest corners of our hearts. You know even what we try to hide from ourselves.
Thank You, Father, for overlooking our time of ignorance, even though we at times point out the faults of those around us. Forgive us, Lord, our sinful ways even when we are unforgiving of others. Be merciful even when we fail to extend mercy.
Be patient with us, Father, as we struggle with doubts and worries. Listen to us now as we speak to You from our hearts.
If any of you, my brothers and sisters, urgently sense the need to recommit to your Christ Jesus, or if you have never surrendered yourself to Him, speak these words to Him now from your heart, as we pray…
Lord Jesus, thank You so much for the great sacrifice You made for me. You took a terrible beating, You bled, and You died on that cross just to defeat death so I might not have to suffer that second death. My dearest Jesus, I willingly accept You as my Lord and Master. I recognize You as the one true Son of God and my only Savior. Forgive me, blessed Jesus, for I have sinned. I have not lived my life to the fullest in Your holy name. Jesus, I turn my back on my evil ways. Help me please to not return to them. I surrender all to You, O Lord. Give me the strength and courage to stay ever committed to You, to fight the good fight, to finish the race. Accept me now, Father God, as Your adopted child and fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may live in Your house for ever and ever. In the blessed name of Jesus I pray.
And now dear Lord, please listen to the pleadings of our hearts here in the silence, as we confess our sins to You and repent, and seek Your forgiveness…
Now my brothers and sisters, know that our merciful Father loves you, that He has forgiven you, and that His Holy Spirit now abides within you. Father, we thank You and we pray to You in the precious name of Christ Jesus, our Redeemer and our Salvation. Amen.
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