There is something that makes us all very unique and very similar.
There’s something you invest in. Time, money, and energy are spent on an education, a hobby, a car, a house, or children…or all of the above.
There’s something you trust in. It may be the government (or an organization you believe in – to come through for you on matters you believe are important). It may be your parents. Or you may be trusting in your own strength and abilities.
And, finally, there’s something you hope for. Maybe a restored relationship… Maybe to succeed in a certain thing… Or it may just be that your children do well in life…
We were created to WORSHIP…
You were created to take pleasure in something, and to invest in something, to trust in something, and to hope for something. And that something, I’m going to suggest, is God. And not just any god, but the אֱלֹהִ֑ים of the Bible – יְֽהוָ֗ה.
This God (the Bible says) created the world and everything in it.
I love listening to my children pray. They often pray, “God thank you for air, and water, and shelter, and all the animals in the world.” How natural it is for them to think about the amazing world God has placed them in. I hope you haven’t lost sight of that!
This God (the Bible says) is Lord of heaven and earth.
He is so big – he does not live in church buildings made of brick and mortar. The Bible says the heavens cannot contain him. Galaxies…too small… He is so powerful he is never in need of anything. He even says, “If I had a need, I wouldn’t tell you.”
He sustains all of creation. He is the One who has caused the leaves to fall and this winter to come. He is the One who gives you your every breath and keeps your heart from missing a beat. You wouldn’t last a second without His sustaining power.
This God (the Bible says) has made all of us from one man named Adam.
And today we are inseparably joined together as family. We even have common family traits inherited from our father – Adam. You know these traits: We struggle with sin and we have to deal with death. I hate sin – seeing the pain and destruction my sin causes. I hate death – knowing that one day the bodies of my very own precious children will be lowered into a grave.
But the Bible gives us hope because the Bible says that not only did God create all of us from one man but He is the One who determined when and where you would live. In fact, I believe he planned for you to be here today. And the Bible says he did it for this reason: So that you would find Him.
And here’s how challenging that is: Like a tiny fish swimming around in the great big ocean desperately searching for water, is like you drowning in your problems and asking, “Where’s God?” The Bible says he is not far from you; in fact, it’s in Him that you live and move and have your complete being! You belong to him because he made you. He knows you better than you know yourself! And you couldn’t escape from his presence if you wanted to!
But this God (the Bible says) is not like the things we worship…
He’s not like our favorite football team or the government. He’s not like our car or house. There’s not a lot of help in these things. The Bible says that we often try to find help in things that can offer no true help – only distract us temporarily…
This God is not like those things…He’s different…
He actually knows who you are. He has a heart that cares for you. He has eyes that see you. He has a mind that is aware of your struggles. He has ears that hear your cries for help. In fact, he has heard your cry for help and He has answered your cry for help by sending Jesus to die on the cross for your sins and to rise from the grave so that He could (on a day like today) reach down from heaven and rescue you for Himself.
The Bible calls Jesus the last Adam because in the person of Jesus Christ God joined himself to our family (the family of Adam) by taking on flesh and blood and a human nature just like ours. He became like us in every way – thirsty, hungry, tired… He was tempted like us in every way – yet he never gave in… And, as the first Adam made a choice that has cursed all of us (in that we deal with sin and death continually), so too, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, made a choice that can bless all of us (in that there is forgiveness of sins and hope of eternal life through in Him).
Jesus chose to be completely obedient to the Father in every way – including laying His life down on the cross as a sinless sacrifice. On the day Jesus was to be crucified a thief and a murderer named Barabbas was also scheduled to be crucified. But on that day the guilty murder
Barabbas was set free while the innocent man Jesus was crucified in his place. The Bible calls this a substitutionary sacrifice because Jesus took your place. It was the death you should have died. It was the punishment you should have received. But the only man who could say, “I’m innocent!” kept his mouth shut and took your place.
Through His substitutionary death and sin and death defeating resurrection Jesus has made it possible for you to be forgiven of your sins and to receive the gift of eternal life.
You were created for this God:
You were created to take pleasure in Jesus.
Jesus spoke with a woman at a well who had been married five times and was living with someone who wasn’t her husband. He said to her, “If you drink of this water you will only get thirsty again but if you drink of the water I will give you (and He spoke in reference to God’s Spirit inside of her), you will never thirst again.” David said, “The LORD is my Shepherd, I have all that I need. My cup runs over.”
You were created to invest in Jesus.
Jesus said, “Count the cost: Whoever does not give up all that he has cannot follow me (can’t be my disciple / can’t be a Christian).” You were created to give everything to Jesus. Your spouse, your children, your education, your career, your hopes and dreams… He wants it all fully invested in loving, obeying and serving him in every area of your life.
You were created to trust in Jesus.
God has put eternity on your heart. You had a conception date…a date you came into being…but you do not have an expiration date. God has created you to live eternally. You’ve got about 60 or 80 years here if you’re so blessed. But most of your existence will be experienced elsewhere. With whom are you entrusting your eternity? If you are trusting in yourself – you’re too weak. God will return you to the dirt at your appointed time. From the beginning, you were created to trust in Jesus and to entrust your eternity with Him.
You were created to hope for Jesus.
The Bible says that Jesus is returning to earth. And when he returns he is bringing a kingdom (a government / a nation) with Him. One day Jesus is going to plant his feet down once again on planet Earth. And when His kingdom arrives it will shatter and destroy beyond recovery all other kingdoms and nations and governments of this earth. The Father says about the Son in the Psalms, “He will shatter the nations to pieces like a potters vessel and he will rule them with a rod of iron.”
There was a day Jesus was mocked as a king. A crown of thorns on his head… They gave him a purple robe and a wooden staff (like a kings scepter) and then they took that staff from his hands and beat him over and over. There will be a day when Jesus returns where he will rule the nations with a rod of iron – no one will take the scepter from his hands again. His kingdom will be established forever. You were created to hope for this day. In fact, Jesus told you to pray for it – for his Kingdom to come…
This God who has a heart and mind and eyes and ears for you…(the Bible says) also has a mouth (The Bible) through which commands all people everywhere to repent.
That means turn from worshiping the things of this world in order to worship Jesus alone. And here’s why: God has scheduled a day in which the resurrected Jesus will judge the world in righteousness.
This God (the Bible says) will be ignored by most of this world.
Most of the world will ignore God’s warning. They will reject his love and kindness. And they will continue their own personal pursuits. They’ll choose their sin over God’s love and choose to remain with most of the world in their corruption – which will lead to their destruction. Jesus said in the end it will be like it was in the days of Noah: People were busy with their personal plans (day after day / week after week) until the day it started to rain. They didn’t put that on the calendar. And then it was too late.
My question for you today is this: “How will you respond to this amazing God?”
That’s why the Bible says today is the day of salvation and if you hear His voice today, don’t harden your heart but call on the name of Jesus so that you can live and serve Jesus in his kingdom forever.
