Experiencing God 10 - God reveals Himself, His purpose and His ways

Reading: Psalm 25
Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. Psalm 25:8-9 (NIV)

I.   God reveals Himself

     A.  He shows us Who He is

           1.  The Bible is God’s self-revelation

                 a.  In the beginning God. . .

                 b.  God’s intent is to show us Who He is, not merely what He wants from us.

                 c.  To know God, read His autobiography

           2.  David has seen Who God is

                 a.  David had a personal experience of God too.

                 b.  God was his “my savior” (v.5); “good and upright” (vv.7,8).

                 c.  He finds in his relationship to God hope, guidance, forgiveness, rescue, and protection

           3.  How does God show Himself to us?

                 a.  What does your Bible reading tell you about who God is?

                 b.  What does God at work in your life tell you about Who God is?

                 c.  What does God at work in this Church tell you about Who God is?

     B.  He shows Himself Trustworthy (v.3)

           1.  He is worthy of our trust, our faith

                 a.  He has earned our trust.

                 b.  It is foolish for us to withhold it.

           2.  He shows Himself to inspire trust in Him

                 a.  David’s knowledge of God’s history with Israel inspired His personal trust in Him.

                 b.  David’s experience of God inspired trust too.

                 c.  God instructs and guides us (vv.8-9) in His ways — so we can trust more completely.

     C.  Keep our Eyes on the Lord (v.15)

           1.  There’s only one way out of this trap

                 a.  We are trapped by sin, by the inevitability of death, by a 1000 things that limit us

                 b.  We sometimes think we can escape on our own — if we only try a little harder

                 c.  There is only one way to be rescued.

           2.  Look only to Him for rescuing

                 a.  Where else shall we go? The disciples asked

                 b.  There is no human remedy for our problem

                 c.  Look to the one Who alone will release our feet from the snare.

           3.  Be still and know He is God (Ps.46:10)

                 a.  I lift my eyes to the Hills. . . (Ps.121:1)

                 b.  “Seek His face” go after that personal face-to-face encounter with God.

II.  God reveals His Purpose

     A.  He Confides in those in Awe of Him

           1.  A picture of intimate communication

                 a.  “The secret of the Lord” - KJV

                 b.  “The friendship of the Lord” - RSV

                 c.  God whispers in the ear of those who are in awe of Him; who worship Him.

           2.  God tells us what He’s up to

                 a.  Not just a picture of intimacy, God speaks.

                 b.  He tells/teaches us His ways (vv.8-9)

                 c.  He instructs us in the way He chooses for us

     B.  He makes his Covenant known

           1.  God doesn’t relate to us haphazardly but according to the conditions of an agreement

                 a.  We are under the New Covenant/agreement rooted in a relationship with Jesus who died to redeem us (v.22!)

                 b.  It is the covenant of grace by faith

                 c.  It is the New Testament (cov’t) message.

           2.  He tells us what He expects of us

                 a.  He expected Israel to submit to the laws He gave to Moses (Ex., Lev., Nu., Deut.)

                 b.  We are to believe, receive and trust in Jesus

                 c.  He expects we submit to His call on our lives.

     C.  We Conform to His purposes

           1.  We don’t tell God our plans and ask for His blessing

                 a.  Well, we do, but it doesn’t work very well!

                 b.  God isn’t our servant, our waiter.

           2.  We find out His plans and join Him.

                 a.  It doesn’t say, “God is at the beck and call of sinners and the humble”

                 b.  He instructs us in His ways, He guides us

           3.  His plans are better anyway!

                 a.  He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine! (Eph.3: 20)

                 b.  ALL the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful (v.10)

III. God reveals His Ways

     A.  He shows His ways to Sinners

           1.  Usually “sinners” are “pre-Christians”

                 a.  Sinners in the Bible are those who still live under the burden of their sins.

                 b.  God instructs them, He’s at work in them too

           2.  God is at work bringing people to Himself

                 a.  As we said before, God’s mission is to gather His people from everywhere.

                 b.  We join Him in doing that.

           3.  If He shows His ways to “sinners” . . .

                 a.  Then certainly he’s showing His ways to those who want to know them!

     B.  He shows His ways to the Humble

           1.  He guides us — explains his ways so we can follow them

                 a.  An invisible guide isn’t much of a guide

                 b.  God is our guide—we have enough to follow.

           2.  The Humble are those who look more to God than themselves for their help

                 a.  It takes humility to follow a guide.

                 b.  “Sinners” get instruction but may not follow.

                 c.  We are to do more than “get instruction” we are to follow our Guide.

     C.  We do things His way

           1.  It isn’t enough to try to carry out God’s plans.

                 a.  It isn’t. I’m sorry.

                 b.  Sometimes in trying to do God’s work, we are hurtful, impolite, resentful, pushy, etc.

                 c.  We understand a task, but think we can figure out the best way to do it on our own.

           2.  We are supposed to carry them out in His way.

                 a.  His ways are loving and faithful (v.10)

                 b.  Sometimes his ways demand a lot of faith!

                 c.  God wants us to understand not only what to do, but how to do it (not in minute detail - maybe)

           3.  How is often as (more) important as (than) what

                 a.  We can do the greatest things, but if we do them without love, we’re wasting our time.

                 b.  We can have the grandest evangelism program, but if God wants to reach folks in a different way, it won’t work.

           4.  It is necessary for us to establish and maintain our love relationship with God so we can carefully listen to Him confiding in us

The Bottom Line:

Lord Speak to Me that I May Speak R# 625 vv. 1, 4