#Wisdom: Experiencing the Presence of God AND Knowing the Character of God
This week, Pastor Craig kicked off our July series #Wisdom speaking on the character of God. In America, there are many who have heard the name of Jesus. Many call themselves Christians, yet they define what it means to follow Christ. The story of Jesus dying on the cross is not unfamiliar. At the same time, many do not know who He is and how He is working in all of our lives.
This diseased vision of God is not our faults. We are born into a world of sin and brokenness. Because of this, our ability to see and love God is impaired. It’s not our fault that our vision is distorted, yet when the word of God comes forth it is our responsibility to move towards repairing it.
It’s not enough to be passionate about God if we do not know God. Think of being passionate about your favorite celebrity. You are passionate about them alright, but in reality, you have never met them. This is what it’s like to say you love Jesus without ever investing time in his word and prayer. In the end, being a fan is just a hobby and for some, it turns into being a useless “groupie”.
This is why it is important for all of us to engage in theology at some level. We have to have basic theological knowledge in order to maintain faithfulness to who God really is in our speech. Secondly, theology helps us to rightly contemplate the sheer beauty of God.
Three things you need to know about God today are:
1. God is not sometimes active, sometimes present, sometimes absent.
God is not a person in the room. God is spirit. Because of this God is present at all times and in all things. There are times of course that we can feel God’s presence more tangibly, at the same time even if we are not feeling him or seeing him as directly at times God is always there, always working, and bringing things together. If God has not answered your prayers recently, or you have not felt God’s presence ask yourself, “What is God doing in my perception of his absence?”
2. God is neither controlling or controllable.
God is not most powerful in all the world he is all power period. He does not enforce his will on unwilling subjects and neither does he bend to our every whim. Engaging in a power struggle with God is useless. This week think about how you have maybe perceived God as controlling. Talk through this perception of God with a trusted friend that is mature in the faith. Also, think about anyways you may be trying to control God.
3. God is not needy.
God did not create us because he needed something from us. God created us to enjoy us and for us to enjoy him. God is all-sufficient in himself. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit commune with each other and fulfill one another completely. When we serve God we are not working for him, but with Him. Have you perceived God as needy? How has this affected your relationship and service to Him?