Sermon: “It’s Personal”
How many times have you heard descriptions about God? Whether it be sermons, in
Bible Study or when you pick up something like a Topical Bible and look under
the subject of God.
We see and hear such words as
Omniscient—knows all things
Omnipotent---can do all things
Omnipresent---is present in all place at all times
Incomprehensible—cannot be fully known
Eternal---no beginning and no end
How ever can we comprehend these kinds of descriptions? These descriptions themselves are hard to comprehend. To be close to God we need to know who He is. We need to know God on better terms.
My purpose today is to describe God Almighty as…
A living, personal being.
Today I want to talk about a God that has a real personality, who feels, thinks, desires and acts in ways that display Him as being a living, personal Being.
He is a Being that loves, hates, and who can be extremely angry or very, very happy.
I also want to look at what He wants for us and what we can do as a part of our relationship with this living and personal God that we call Father.
(1) God Has Feelings
Anger:
Matthew 22:7
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Psalm 103:8-11
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Love:
Psalm 63:3
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Romans 1:7
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hate
Proverbs 6:16-19
16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Compassion
Psalm 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
(2) God Is Independent
All physical life exists in a network of inter-dependency. Witness ecosystems of plants and animals. Look at how man is dependent on air, water, food and shelter.
In fact, every living being except God is dependent upon God for its very existence. This is not so with God
Turn to Acts 17 and beginning with verse 25
Acts 17:25-27
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
But though He be independent He does love and desire us….notice the next verse…
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
(3) God speaks about Himself
Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
Isaiah 44:6, 8
6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Now verse 8
8
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have
declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is
no God; I know not any.
What else can we talk about that shows that God is a living, personal being?
(4) God is a Good God.
One of the missions of Christ was to let mankind know that God is a Good God. The Bible tells us that He is a good God.
Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
This is an invitation to get into a relationship with God, to test Him out to see if He is really good.
Psalm 100:5
For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
The world sees God as the great policeman of the sky, who sits in heaven and knocks us over the head whenever they get out of line. They see Him as a dictator and blame him for everything that happens.
The Bible tells us differently…
Psalm 119:68
Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
(5) God is a people person
We seem to forget this all too often. God made people, God knows what makes people tick. God made you like you are because He wanted you that way.
God has a purpose for your life and He is going to be there for you all during your life providing for you so you can fulfill that purpose.
Let’s look at 3 things He provides for us because in doing so we see that …God is a living, personal being …He’s Real!
A. God Gives Us Health
Turn to Psalm 103:3
Psalm 103:3-5
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
B. God Gives Us Wealth
God has made a provision for your wealth too. He wants us to have enough to pay our bills, support the work and help other people.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Here we learn of the principle of giving and receiving.
John 10:10-11
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Christ speaking here. He wanted us to have so much that He was willing to die to see to it that we got it.
Remember that even though we are talking about God, Christ too, is a living, personal being from the same family.
C. God wants happiness for us.
Of course, God wants us to be happy. Why endure your religion when you can enjoy it? Look at God’s plan.
In part, 1 Timothy 6:17 says …trust in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
Proverbs 14:21 He that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he—2nd part
Proverbs 16:20 Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.—2nd part
Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth always.—1st part
Proverbs 29:18 He that keepeth the law, happy is he.--2nd part
A sick person cannot usually help another sick person, a poor person cannot help another poor person, a depressed person cannot help another depressed person.
God needs people who are enjoying life to the full and maximizing their potential. In other words, He needs us to be like Him…
a living, personal being
(6) God is there in our every circumstance
In the book, “Pilgrim’s Progress”, John Bunyan relates the following incident during Christian’s journey.
He saw “a very stately palace before him, the name of which was ‘Beautiful’, and it stood just by the highway-side. Now before he had gone far, he entered into a very narrow passage, and looking before him as he went, he saw two lions in the way. Then he was afraid, and thought nothing but death was before him.
But the porter, whose name is Watchful, cried unto him, saying, ‘Is thy strength so small? Fear not the lions: for they are chained, and are placed there for a trial of faith where it is; and for the discovery of those that have none. Keep in the midst of the path, and no hurt shall come unto thee!”
He went on, trembling for fear of the lions, but taking good heed to the directions of the porter. He heard them roar; but they did him no harm.”
Many circumstances in life are just like that. But circumstances cannot harm you when your life is guided by your watchful heavenly Father.
Let is look at just such a story in the Bible. Turn to 1 Kings 17 and beginning in verse 8
1 King 17:8-12
8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
The famine was upon the land as God’s judgement against the people of Israel for worshipping Baal, a god of the heathen.
This was a circumstance over which the little widow woman had no control.
But God was in control of the situation. He will control your circumstances as you allow Him to do so.
The woman was taken care of because she took a three-fold path of deliverance. Possible because God is a Real, living personal God.
ONE) She Put God First
1 King 17:13
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
What would you have done? If you want God’s help in any situation of life, God first is always the first step on the ladder to blessing.
God’s Commands often run contrary to human reasoning, but if you put God first, He will not fail you.
TWO) Trust in God’s Promises
1 Kings 17:14
For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste,
neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain
upon the earth.
Second, the little widow woman had her trust in God’s promises.
THREE) Obey God
1 King 17:15-16
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
Is this not the same message that was preached by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount? Here, He speaks about His Dad…
Matthew 6:31-33
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Let us look at some more verses that not only show that God is there in every circumstance but also show him to be a living, personal being.
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 12:2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Psalm 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
So, we see that God has feelings
He’s independent yet stays close to us and loves us
He talks about Himself
He’s good
He’s a people person and He is always there in our every circumstance
Psalm 46 and verse 11 says
The LORD of hosts is with us…
In verse 10 is says
Be still, and know that I am God……….and I say
Be still and know that He is a living, personal God