01 19 34 08-10 - Feel Right (Experiencing God)
*Feel Right – Experiencing God
Psalm 34:8-10*
Intro:
· @ Blokes who Bake website—Decadent Chocolate Cake recipe
o Flour—Sugar —Baking powder—Cocoa —Baking Soda—salt—coffee —melted Butter—Milk—eggs—Vanilla essence
§ My mind tells me “this could be something great!”
o Instructions there – pretty simple –it is “baking for blokes!”
§ follow the instructions – put into action– what happens?
o But how will you know if it is actually a good cake?
§ Only in experience — able to tell if it is good
· In Psalm 34
o Vss 1-3 — right thinking – knowing truth — worshipping God
o Vss 4-7 —right actions – putting into practice what you discovered– fully depending on Him in every area of your life
o Vss 8-10 — right thinking – learning through experience — God is worthy of worship and absolutely dependable.
§ higher thinking — greater actions —better experience ...
o In all that, you find life as is should be!
· Based on that let’s see what it means to experience God
I. How You Experience God
A. Taste
1. Meaning
a. to try, or to evaluate
b. ROOT – Tasting with the tongue
(1) That’s a pretty vulnerable experience
(2) @ I love olives! Especially black ones
(a) On a pamphlet route our family used to do there was a cul-de-sac with olive trees all along the footpath
(b) Many of the olives fell to the ground and rotted – WASTE!
(c) One day I decided to try one
i. Wild olives – don’t know much about them
ii. Most bitter and horrible thing I have EVER eaten!
· No water for me to wash that taste out!
(3) @ I have a love-hate relationship with plums
(a) You get a good one and there is nothing sweeter
(b) Get a bad one and it will turn your face inside out!
(c) Our neighbours have a plum tree with most of its branches hanging over our fence
i. Not really well-taken care of and small plums
ii. One day I decided to try one
iii. With much trepidation – it was awesome!
c. How do you know if something is good or not? be vulnerable
2. Application
a. This passage has repeatedly told you that God is dependable
b. Repeatedly said — living according to God’s Will brings LAISB
c. But you will never experience the truth until you make yourself vulnerable with God!
(1) Honesty really is the way to live
(2) Giving God the early part of your day really does set you up to have a more productive day
(3) Trusting God with your finances really is awesome!
(4) Plans in His hands really does give you an exciting life
B. See
1. Meaning
a. Observe with the intention of learning something
b. Not just looking for the sake of using the eyeball
c. @ Art Gallery at BJU
(1) First went there, fine art was not my bag (Dogs playing poker)
(2) time to kill –art gallery – world’s best collection –400 pieces
(a) Took me about 15 minutes to get through the 25 rooms.
(b) I was using eyeball time – I was looking without seeing
(3) one of my courses, -- guided 1-hour tour!
(a) But on that tour – pointed out different aspects of art – the way heads were tilted – direction of eyesight – position of people and what that represented
(b) Fascinating! – Now I was seeing some of what the painter intended
2. Application
a. You can read the words on the page
b. You can look at how God works in other believers’ lives
c. But until you stop and personally see God, you won’t expeirnece
(1) That delay in traffic – God protecting you
(2) Person walking toward you – God giving you ministry opp
(3) That invitation to a meal – God providing for you
d. We so often blame God when things go bad, but then give luck (good fortune) the credit when things go well.
e. Do you stop and take the time to see God working in your life?
C. Trust
1. Meaning
a. go to a place where one will find safety and refuge
(1) @ walking down street— pelting rain storm – wind is blowing
(2) The umbrella just isn’t going to work
(3) You see a cafe and pop in for shelter
(a) Left your intended journey to seek refuge in the shop
(b) You stay dry and you enjoy what the cafe has to offer
i. IOW—you get far more than you expect
2. Application
a. Trusting in God — leave your inteneded journey and take refuge in God’s presence
(1) While there, you get to enjoy a lot more than you expected
b. What does this mean?
(1) You can’t just stand outside and say, “God could handle this situation for me.”
(a) “Life should have more to offer. God could give that.”
(2) You must change the journey you are on
(a) Perhaps that means committing your life to Christ by receiving the gift of salvation (give Gsopel)
(b) Perhaps that means doing away with your own little gods
i. Job security – bank account – personality – leisure
(3) You fully experience God and what He has for you
(4) Willing to change your direction and enter God’s cafe?
D. Fear
1. Meaning
a. Originally meaning “to tremble, or quake”
b. “Reverential awe and respect” – a bit weak—only “positive side”
c. Better
(1) to acknowledge God’s superiority over man and respond in awe, humility, worship, love, trust, and obedience.
(2) Reverence that discourages disobedience on the one hand and encourages obedience to God on the other hand.
d. @ Early memories — dad’s friend who was a policeman –enjoyed being with his family and remember having great times
(1) travelling in car before the days of seatbelt laws
(a) I was hanging over the back seat annoying him
(b) firmly told me to sit back or he would put me in jail with only bread and water
i. I immediately sat back
· Yes, He was a family firend
· But he also had authority
ii. Draws close to the idea of fearing God
2. Application
a. Yes...
(1) God is our Father — loves us —invites us into His presence
(2) God has given eternal life where we will live with Him
b. However...
(1) He is our Lord—Master—Authority
c. Therefore...
(1) genuine reverence for who He is — life that reflects that
(2) Do not merely think of God as the great goody-giver
(a) We don’t just come to Him when we feel like it
d. not drawn to have fear of Him? You do not yet really know Him
E. Seek
1. Meaning
a. Same word as in verse 4
b. Keep returning to a place so that you can carefully search something out
2. Application
a. Seeking God means you are not content to ahve a surface relationship with Him
(1) You are not content to hear about Him
(2) ...to learn about Him
(3) ...to talk about Him
b. You want to KNOW Him
(1) You want to discover everything He wants you to know
c. Do you have that passion to experience God?
II. The Results of Experiencing God
A. The Lord is Good
1. Broad word used 573 times in the OT
2. There is nothing bad in God
a. @ Greek mythology – man manipulated the whims of the gods
b. @ Islam – Allah is fatalistic and lacking in love
c. @ Any manmade god – idol – has some weakness, dark side
d. NOT GOD
3. That is a good thing since He is all-powerful.
a. If He is not good, then we should be running for our lives!
4. Even in the really ugly times of life, you see God’s goodness
B. You Are Blessed
1. To be envied
2. People see God’s blessing and will wish they had the same thing
a. @ Oprah with the Amish
(1) She is one of the richest and most powerful people on earth
(2) She interviewed an Amish couple
(a) Live very sparse lives
(b) No electricity, cars, computers,
(c) Farm with horses, wash clothes by hand, etc
(3) She asked about their contentment level – 100%
(a) She was envious of them!
b. Living Life As It Should Be doesn’t mean a carefree life
(1) It means a content – secure – meaningful – confident life
(2) It means knowing God and trusting Him in every way
C. You Have No Want or Lack
1. Same root word— to not have enough of what is needed,
2. There is no =There does not exist
3. Shall not = factual negative as opposed to a potential negative
4. When you experience God, you find He really does meet your need
a. George Mueller
(1) Bristol, England,
(2) 1836–opened orphanage with 26 children — 2nd & 3rd house
(3) Mueller refused to ask for funds — praying and trusting God
(a) “I am not at liberty to speak about the state of our funds, since the primary object of the work in my hands is to lead those who are weak in the faith to see that there is reality in dealing with God alone.”
(4) the Lord did provide, though sometimes at the last moment.
(a) plates, bowls, and cups on the tables, no food or milk.
(b) children waited while Mueller prayed for daily bread
(c) knock at the door. — baker. “Mr. Mueller, I couldn’t sleep last night. I felt you didn’t have bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 A.M. and baked some fresh bread.”
(d) A second knock. — milkman broken down in front of orphanage—wanted to give milk — empty & fix wagon
(5) More than 10,000 orphans, “prayed in” millions of dollars, and recorded fifty thousand answers to prayer.[1]
Conc:
· @ Everything about this cake says it tastes good
o All the right ingredients
o I followed the instructions carefully
o But is it a good cake?
§ How will you know?
§ You have to experience it
§ This is cake as it should be
· Everything in the Word of God says that God is worthy of worship
o The Bible goes on to say how we should live
§ How we can know Him
o But you won’t really have LAISB until you experience Him
· Are you looking and wishing you could have a tatste of this cake?
o In a moment, you’ll have the opportunity
· More importantly – are you just looking and wishing you could experience God?
o Grab your spirutal fork and dig in.
o God desires fo you to know Him – so don’t miss out
o Make sure you are Living Life As It Should Be
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[1]Robert J. Morgan, Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 618.