Seeing God
Our Glorious Inheritance • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Today’s Reading from God’s Word
Today’s Reading from God’s Word
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Introduction
Introduction
The true desire of those who love God is to see Him face to face. This has been the case throughout all of Scripture:
18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.”
3 If only I knew how to find him, so that I could go to his throne.
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.
1 God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
2 So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory.
2 I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
10 Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than live in the tents of wicked people.
4 I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple.
8 Yes, Lord, we wait for you in the path of your judgments. Our desire is for your name and renown.
9 I long for you in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks you, for when your judgments are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8 “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”
It is the longing of God’s people to see God. To be with him.
And yet in our human condition. it’s not possible.
20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.”
16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.
46 not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father.
Those who have been in his presence are terrified:
22 “We’re certainly going to die,” he said to his wife, “because we have seen God!”
5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.
And those who have been in his presence have only seen a veiled representation of Him:
Moses - Exodus 34.
Isaiah - Isaiah 6
Ezekiel - Ezekiel 8-10
An Incredible Promise
An Incredible Promise
But Now I want you to see an incredible promise our Lord makes at the beginning of His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Isn’t that amazing?
This should be the greatest desire of our heart.
Today
Today
Today, we’re continuing our series on Our Glorious Inheritance.
And specifically, what Jesus said about our home in heaven.
Last week we were in Matthew 13 looking at two of Jesus’ parables - The parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl of great price.
We talked about the priceless value of the kingdom.
Our lesson today will be here in the beatitudes.
Intimate knowledge of and fellowship with God is given to those who are pure.
Purity is a prerequisite for entering into the presence of God.
It has been said that purity of heart cleanses the eyes of the soul so that God becomes visible.
We see what we are fit to see, which comes from the desire to know.
Today we’ll talk about what Jesus said must happen if we want to see God.
Defining a Pure Heart
Defining a Pure Heart
Matthew 5:8 (CSB)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Pure is a form of the word we use today for catharsis, which is a cleansing of the mind or emotions.
The word Jesus uses here simply means “clean.”
We might also add the words, “unmixed, unadulterated, or unalloyed.”
In Jesus’ day, this word described soiled clothing that had been washed clean.
It could also be used of an army that had been purged of cowardly soldiers.
Milk or wince that was unadulterated with water.
Or, metal with no tinge of alloy.
Pure “in heart.”
Jesus is referring to our motives and attitudes.
In the Bible, the “heart” is referred to as the source of our thinking process, will, and emotions.
Good and evil can come out of our heart.
Jesus warned:
19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
What Does It Mean to be Pure in Heart?
What Does It Mean to be Pure in Heart?
Jesus is describing a radical inner purity and holiness.
An internal integrity that reveals itself in our behavior.
A conscience without offense.
A single-minded, undivided devotion to spiritual integrity and true righteousness.
Psalm 86:11 (CSB)
11 Teach me your way, Lord, and I will live by your truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear your name.
So again, we’re talking about absolute integrity and transparent honesty.
I believe this is one of our greatest challenges.
Psalm 24:3–4 (CSB)
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully.
10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
We Must Long for Purity
We Must Long for Purity
Psalm desperately longed for it while he struggled with the flesh. (Romans 7:15-25).
The problem of double-mindedness is real.
We tend to want to serve God … and ourselves.
We have to fight back against our flesh … and the world to pursue purity.
Luke 16:13 (CSB)
13 No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
You can’t serve God and anything else.
Money, sex, things, anything.
James said it this way:
James 4:4 (CSB)
4 You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.
This is serious.
A desire to be friendly with the world makes one an enemy of God.
We are called to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts.
Purity is a High Standard
Purity is a High Standard
The disciple aims to be like Jesus, i.e., like God Himself.
Matthew 5:48 (CSB)
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This is so much different from a human standard which usually makes comparisons with the worst — rather than the best.
Usually we make ourselves feel better by comparing ourselves to others when we see them doing bad things that we do not do.
This is exactly what the Pharisee did when he looked at the tax collector:
11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’
13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
Other sinful human beings aren’t a standard to measure ourselves by.
We must look to Christ and follow him.
Despite our fleshly tendency to sin, he wants us to be as pure as we can be.
What characterizes your living?
What characterizes your living?
2 Corinthians 7:1 (CSB)
1 So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
It’s a process.
God has begun a good work in us … we must cooperate.
How are we doing in that process? Are we fully surrendering to God’s direction by our resisting sin?
1 Peter 1:15 (CSB)
1 Peter 1:15 (CSB)
15 But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct;
We must never be content with our sin.
We must never be content with our sin.
When sin comes, our desire for holiness will press us to:
13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
You see, our strong desire for holiness and purity will move us to action and never sit on our sin, minimize it, or ignore it.
Instead we want to get it in the open before God so he will remove it.
Jesus’ Promise
Jesus’ Promise
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
In ancient times, to even see the king was rare.
Often, the king lived in seclusion for security purposes and often to build the illusion that he was a god with very special character.
Only very special people or the well-connected had regular access to the monarch.
To be in the king’s presence day after day just did not happen.
Only vey special people were allowed to be with him.
But here, Jesus says those who are pure will get to be with him … in His presence.
Right now, we can’t. Now, we see Him through the eye of faith.
We see His glory …
Through the revelation of Scripture
Through history
Through nature
Through his working among our circumstances
Through his delivering power in our difficulties
Through his creation
Through his providence
In all these things we are aware of His power.
Remember a few minutes ago how I said we see what we are fit to see, which comes from the desire to know.
Two people see the stars.
One only sees pinpoints of light.
Someone who has been trained can identify stars & planets by name. Ship captains use the stars to navigate at sea.
Two people are in a room with beautiful masterpieces.
Someone with no knowledge or skill cannot distinguish between that which is useless and that which is value.
One may see junk … a trained person may see a treasure.
Two people read a bible passage.
One person reads, and the words mean nothing. The other person reads and the words come alive and they can’t get enough.
How strong is our desire to know?
As We Close…
As We Close…
1 John 3:2 (CSB)
2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.
John knew this promise was true.
This … seeing him as he is … should be the longing of our heart.
12 They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!
wont it be amazing to see Him sitting on the throne?
Are you ready to meet Him?
Are you ready to meet Him?
Hebrews 12:14 (CSB)
14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord.
One day will see God face to face.
Will you greet Him as your Father … or your Judge?
Will you greet Him as your Father … or your Judge?
You decide.
God desires that you give yourself to Him. Will you do that?