SEEING GOD IN THE EVERYDAY 30 Aug 09

SEEING GOD IN THE EVERYDAY

Drama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7_pCZp9UHI

There once were two little brothers who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble. If any mischief occurred in their town, the two boys were probably involved.

The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So the mother sent the younger boy first, planning to send the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.

The preacher, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?" The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.

So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?!" Again, the boy made no attempt to answer.

The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "Where is God?!" The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "What happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time. GOD is missing, and they think we did it!"

But seriously, how often do you feel that you’ve lost God? Many of you will have been taught it is important to set aside some time to spend with God everyday – such as a quiet time. Obviously this is important, but if you are anything like me it often seems as if this time is connived and artificial, and that sometimes God seems to be missing.

We come to church on Sunday and then off we go and carry on the rest of the week with little 5 minute God times fitted around our busy schedules. We try all sorts of things to try and make this God time suit us – devotional readings, music, prayer focus, psalms and often nothing we do seems to actually bring us closer to God.

· Where is God anyway when we are trying to connect with him?

· Why does it have to be so hard?

· Why does it seem as if other people get Words of Wisdom all the time and we are still struggling to make any sort of connection or even just to focus for more than 30 seconds on praying?

I am sure many of you will find these complaints familiar. Yet we often feel as if we are the only ones who feel this way. It always seems so much better for other Christians.

Over the past few months I have been spending a lot of time focussing on directing my spiritual life. I have looked at various different ways of meeting with God and to be honest not many of them seem to work well, BUT some do, often in surprising ways and I have learnt to focus on the ones that do.

In order to meet with God we firstly have to recognise what we are looking for. What is our image of God like?

As the activity earlier showed, there is a large range of variations on this theme. As we look at others perceptions we might think ‘how does that work?’ Yet we are all made individual and we all have unique ways of thinking. God knows you better than you do yourself and he deliberately and consciously made you that way. If you need reminding of that read Psalm 139.

God knows who you are deep inside. He knows what makes you tick and how to get that ticking going.

As we looked at that drama, how many of you felt a connection? We seem to spend a lot of time trying very hard to make a connection with God.

We try to be ‘holy’, listen up for a ‘word’ or tune in to what God is saying to us and come up blank.

· So how do we connect with God?

· Can we all meet with him everyday? in real and practical ways?

I believe the key is in understanding ourselves and recognising who God is for us. If you are an extrovert like me then being quiet and reflective is hard work. That doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it just takes more effort. It is certainly not something I feel comfortable with doing every day. But I need to connect with God every day so I have to develop ways I can relate to him that are meaningful according to who I am. Recognising that God wants to be part of my life in every possible way is helpful in establishing that relationship. God really is interested in everything I enjoy. He is eager to be with me when I walk to work, when I drive the kids round to their various activities, when I sit down to dinner and when I am sewing. If this makes me feel uncomfortable then it is probably more my problem – is it because of what I am doing, thinking, watching on TV or ...?

It is important to recognise that God is there even if we don’t recognise him, or want him round. He is definitely there when life is tough and more often than not he is carrying us through these times – like it says in the Footprints poem which many of you will be familiar with.

I have found it helpful to acknowledge that no one else’s spiritual life will be quite like mine. My relationship to God is unique in every way. He has taken time to craft a special friendship with me that would suit no one else – he loves me that much! He has also done that for you. You are the only one preventing that relationship from blossoming. God is able to reveal himself to you in a way ideally suited to you and all you need to do is recognise his presence.

· Consider what you like best.

· What makes an impression on you?

· How do you best connect with others?

· Are you quiet and reflective or do you prefer action?

· If quiet is hard then consider background music as you try to tune into his presence.

· Take a walk with your iPod if sitting still is difficult.

· Write your thoughts down in a journal.

How you meet with God is between you and God. By all means try a variety of ways – it may well be through trial and error that you establish the most meaningful connection, but don’t be afraid to explore.

Your task is to meet with God in every moment in a way that is meaningful for you (not for your friends).

Take time to offer yourself up to God and seek his guidance as you develop a 2 way relationship with him. Think on Psalm 119:73 – ‘You made me; you created me.
Now give me the sense to follow your commands.’

It won’t necessarily come easily but God’s word is full of advice on relying on his wisdom and guidance. Come before him in humility and with a desire to meet him and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Our own attitude is a key to being perceptive to God’s presence. Ask God to train your attitudes, thoughts and desires towards his laws and be receptive to where he leads you.

If you desire a closer relationship with God and want to be more aware of his presence in your life, I have a list of foundational truths which you may find helpful.

God wants to share everything with you. And he created you so he knows you best and is willing to steer you on a path that will experience his presence in unique and special way.

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS (‘Closer Than You Think’ by John Ortberg)

· God is always present and active in your life, whether or not you see Him.

· Coming to recognize and experience God's presence is learned behaviour which you can cultivate.

· Your task is to meet God in this moment.

· We are always tempted to live "outside" this moment. When we do that, we lose our sense of God's presence.

· Sometimes God seems far away for reasons we do not understand. Those moments, too, are opportunities to learn.

· Whenever we fail, we can always start again right away.

· No one knows the full extent to which a human being can experience God's presence.

· Our desire for God ebbs and flows, but His desire for each of us is constant.

· Every thought carries a "spiritual charge" that moves us a little closer to, or a little farther from God.

· Every aspect of your life--work, relationships, hobbies, errands--is of immense and genuine interest to God.

· Your path to experiencing God's presence will not look quite like anyone else's.

· Straining and trying too hard do not help.

Tania Roberts-Thomson

Learning for Life - Ephesians 4:1-16

Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

It has been very special today for us as a church family, to share with Ange and Pete and their families in giving thanks to God for their beautiful little boy, Noah. He will bring them great joy I know. I know Ange & Pete will delight in teaching him new things and giving him new exciting experiences, and just seeing him develop and grow. And for the next few years Noah will just soak up all this learning and look to you with absolute admiration and adoration, really proud that you are his parents.

And then he will become a teenager! Like many teenagers Noah may seem to realize overnight just how much more he knows than his parents. He will find his friends and even their parents do too. He may seem to be on another planet when you try to tell him something, so whatever you say may still not seem to make any impression on him. And for most parents there comes a point when we feel we just have to let our children try things themselves, and learn that way. They will make mistakes so we have to always be there for them. However I encourage parents that there is a way. You have an awesome opportunity and privilege to influence your children's life for good - throughout their life, whatever the circumstances.

It came as a great surprise for Bronwyn & me to discover later on just how much our children had still learned from us through that period, and they had learned - perhaps unwittingly - or even unconsciously, from how we lived our lives. Now we only remember the good things they learned of course - no doubt there were things we could have done better. But it just emphasizes how important it is for our lives to be consistent in living out the values we believe in, so our lives convey the right values to others. A verse in Proverbs (20:7) says this is living with integrity.

Integrity - Rollo May, a psychologist, said "integrity is being the same on the outside as we are on the inside." That is quite a challenge isn't it? It is a challenge that can only have a positive outcome if it is love that is inside us - God's love - because love will then determine our values, and how they impact on others.

Of course there are various ways we learn - by being told, by reading, and so on. But for me how much knowledge I retain increases by being shown - in discussion with others - and ultimately by putting into practice what we have been taught - by doing it.

This is exactly the method Jesus used to teach his disciples.

He explained things;

He showed them how he did the things he was teaching them;

He had many discussions with them;

And he sent them out to do what he had taught and showed them.

Now I am sure I didn't listen to all of my father's advice either, but it is really interesting how much I do remember of my parent's values even many years later, and what I do remember is mainly HOW they lived their lives.

Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus was to remind individuals of how they should live their lives and to explain the purpose of the church in helping them do that. In the passage that Phil read, Paul urges us to a life worthy - being humble, gentle, patient, loving, and peaceful.

That isn't always natural or easy is it? Some people really do push us to the limit at times.

Well the church should be able to help us (just like a parent) - by teaching, showing, and encouraging us to try things. In that same passage Paul also explained how the church can help us. He said that God prepares certain people in the church for this purpose - to prepare us for works of service so that together we may be built up, become mature in our faith, and grow to be more like Christ.

At CPAC we have those people. We have a pastor; we have evangelists, apostles, prophets, and teachers to encourage us in our growth too. That's great. But they can't do it all.

At some point we have to take individual responsibility for our own growth and development - to stop needing to be spoon fed - to feed ourselves so we grow up to maturity.

As parents we enjoy seeing our children develop and mature.

In the same way God longs for us to grow up to maturity - to be more like Christ.

I heard this comment recently - "Impression without expression is repression"

To me that means being taught something but not doing anything with it can actually make knowledge a burden rather than being useful. We often say that if we don't move forward, we won't just stand still, we will move backwards. Use it, or lose it! As Paul wrote to Timothy - "………I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God that is within you……" We need to use the good that has been placed in us, however it has been placed, and use it for the good of others.

And James reminds us (ch.2:14-17) - Just having the knowledge, even a genuine faith in God, is not much use ……………….unless we act on it, and put our beliefs into practice.

Last Sunday Bronwyn & I went to Arohata Prison to take a Bible study with the women. The study was about the time Jesus taught his disciples about serving …….when he washed their feet. One of the women there made the comment that when you do make the effort to help someone else you are often also helped yourself. A verse in Proverbs (11:24) agrees. This is pretty much what Dr Karl Menninger, a psychiatrist, said about people continually seeking help. He said something like "Those people need to lock up their house, go across the road, find someone in need, and do something to help that person."

And the results of a survey conducted by the Willow Creek Church in the USA recently give a similar perspective. They have for years produced many programs and courses and they undertook a thorough professional survey of many churches over a period of 4 years. The results surprised them. They discovered that their programs were not nearly as effective as they thought. They found that…………………..

1. The key to an individual's growth was their personal relationship with Jesus - and how close that relationship was.

2. That rather than people wanting to be spoon fed to grow in this relationship, they wanted to know how to take personal responsibility for it.

3. That serving others is an important aspect of a close relationship with Jesus. This follows the example of Jesus who said "I came not to be served, but to serve."

4. The church's most influential role is often in the formative years of a Christian.

5. The church's role then is to provide support and opportunities for people to serve.

6. As Christians mature they need to be serving more and more (and particularly outside the church) in order for them to have life and vitality in their faith, rather than to plateau or even slip back.

I know there are people here today who can testify to the reality of that aspect of serving. Those who have been on short term missions to Fiji to help the people there in various ways, have come home feeling quite the reverse has happened ……that they are the ones who have been richly blessed.

Bronwyn & I experience it time and again when we go to the Prison to minister to the women, and come away absolutely uplifted and feeling that it is we who have been ministered to.

Many others have similar experiences, and I think of others here involved in community service.

But it doesn't need to be special events. I have seen a person from CPAC in her work situation displaying those qualities listed in our Bible reading. And I have seen her grow in her faith since being in that role. I know of someone else who quietly serves in behind the scenes roles at CPAC, and I have witnessed the growth in his faith.

It is their willing serving attitude that is the difference.

Many of us serve, for sure. But it is how we serve that is important.

The key to a willing serving attitude is love. Christ's love for us - our love for him shown in our love for others. Paul reminds us of this in our reading (Ephesians 4:15).

Another version puts it this way - "If we live with integrity and love we will grow to be like Christ." Remember that verse from Proverbs about parents living with integrity, and the on flow effect that has on their children? It is worth it. It has a positive affect on others, and on us.

And if love is the motivation, it takes away any feeling of compulsion.

Whatever we do then, let us do it with the right motivation.

Paul again writes in Col.3:17 - when we do anything, whether it is setting up for church services here ……………in our home ….going about our daily work ….on a mission ….in our community …………..whatever it is …………..let us do it with the attitude of doing it for Christ, in a way that will bring honor and glory to him.

In closing there is only one point I am trying to make. That is - putting into practice what we have been taught and modeled, especially by lovingly serving others, is an essential element of our growth to maturity.

No matter how you may try to remember this, whether it is:

Integrity;

Using it or losing it;

Fanning into flames;

Faith without works is dead;

However it is …………for us to learn for real life requires action …………our action!

When we do act we will find that not only will we grow to be more like Christ, but:

We will empower and bless others;

And we will bring worship and delight to God.

I encourage you to pray the Prayer for the Week as a personal prayer of commitment - to love and serve the Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ,

I acknowledge you as my Saviour and Lord who, when you came to earth, showed us you were our servant leader too. Please help me to follow your example - to love as you loved, and to serve as you served. In doing this may I be a blessing to others, and bring worship and glory to you. Amen