Encountering God in His Beauty

So I don't know about you guys. I watch TV. I don't know if that's right location for you. But I think it's very common thing. What are the most popular TV shows? I've seen what types of TV shows. Are the remodeling TV shows, right? You see a farmhouse. You see it with Generations of difference, of add-ons of a farmhouse, sometimes part of the houses built in 1910 1930-1950 and so on. And so someone comes in and 2021. Are they going to do? Show me if you are going to make it into a beautiful home. So fun to watch this because they reimagine spaces faces that you see as a kitchen. They knock down the wall and everything is different. But not only do we sit in our couches in our homes. We watch these remodeling TV shows. We get excited. We begin to think. What if my couch was over there. What if my wall is that color? What if I cleared away this wall? And I made an island and their kitchen is more open. It really just makes more sense. If you notice the things that we watch the things that we engage, and

We want to become like the things that we adore, the things that we find beautiful. We want to become just like that. Until I don't know how you would describe God. If I give you five words or you had five words? May be faithful. Maybe just maybe good. And a few others. Would you describe him as beautiful? Do you have a category in your heart in your life? Do you think of the almighty God? He's loving ingesting. Gives his salvation. Amen. Ecuador him, you come into His presence in our, you moved in a way that you wants to be like him. Do you want to use your coaster in your seat to him that you want to look at him and become like him. Are there wolves in the heart in your life that you need to break down to make space for who God is and his Beauty. So if you would, please stand for the reading of God's word, as we look at 2nd Corinthians, 3:4 and 5 will be drawing from. PewDiePie passages.

I will start in verse 18 of 2nd Corinthians 3.

And we all with unveiled face beholding, the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of Glory to another. For this comes from the Lord. Who is the spirit. For what we Proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ, as Lord with ourselves as your servant. For Jesus's sake, forgot who said let light shine out of Darkness. I shown in our hearts to give the right of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but we have this treasure in Jars of Clay to show that it's a passing power belongs to God and not to us. We are flicted in every way but not crushed perplexed but not driven to despair persecuted but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying in the body, the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. Today's light momentary Affliction is to paying us for an eternal weight of Glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen, which of the things that are unseen, for the things that are seen a transient but the things that are unseen our Eternal, we know that if the 10 that is the Earthly home is destroyed. We have a building from God a house not made with hands Eternal in the heavens. This is God's word. You may be seated.

So I'd like to give you a description or definition for beauty, as the quality of something, that brings pleasure Delight to the senses or satisfaction and meaning to the Mind through its appearance. Value usefulness or desirability and the theological sense, whose quality is exhibited by God and instilled in his creation, but I think the bifurcation, the issue that we run into is that we look at Beauty and we think of it like an art gallery we think of it as other as outside of us and it has nothing to do with us, but I would argue much differently. I believe that the beauty of God must transform us, and if we look at things that are beautiful and looks to be transformed, we must be most transformed by the one. Who is most beautiful, which is God. The question is not is God, beautiful, because as he reveals himself, we see him has beautiful. The question is, where is he? Where does he reveal himself? And how are we to be transformed? How is he calling you and us here as Grace as a community, as individuals in our small groups and our Ministries and our relationships. What is he calling us to? I believe that we see the beauty of God and creation. The first page then it's his one. We see creation. They 126 the creation works but the light shine out of darkness and so on and so forth. And we see this narrative necessary. It was necessary to the ancient Israelites, just as it's necessary to it because when you look at the world around us, we begin to praise the rocks and the trees and the people around us to celebrities. We tend to see them as the good instead of the good being our creator. We look to the objects and we praise the objects because they are what draw our attention instead of them leading us back to God. Instead, I speeding He's in and out of who he is. And so I think we can tend to think. Tend to think of Idols as the graven images of the ancient Israelites and they don't affect our hearts today, but that's not the case. There are animals in all of our Lives, whether it's a relationship, whether it's food, whether it's money weather at work. What ever takes the place of God as our Ultimate Security as our ultimate becomes an idol in our lives, even things that can be considered good. And the Israelites struggled with this and we struggle with this, If we're honest. We also see the beauty of creation post. All the Claritin God's word. I think we see it in our In our call to worship song, 81240, Lord, our Lord. How Majestic is your name? And all fear. If you have set your glory above the heavens as an ounce of strong, man. No. Babies. Infants, declare the glory in the beauty of God, the Miracle of Life, the heavens above the Earth, the trees, some 19 that we've been encouraged to memorize. How's the church yesterday? The skies above proclaimed, the handiwork acai at night after night. They pour forth knowledge of its Creations Duty. Display the glory and the Majesty of God. It's what it was created for what we're supposed to be looking for.

It's something I love Dooley about the Midwest. We don't have the ocean. We don't have mountains. But my goodness, do we have sunsets? Eastern Rises. We have sunsets.

and,

Beautiful. Where's the yellows and oranges? That remind me of a hunter's vest with Pink's. That just seem befitting of only befitting of a toddler's tutu. Call the mixtures of colors in between they ought to make ice. You stutter at the beauty in the Majesty of the God who would take the time. To make something so beautiful for us to enjoy. And yet, we're so prone to overlook it or see it as an end in itself. Instead of looking at the creation and knowing that it's leading us back to God and to, who he is. I had an experience in the UK and Ireland, when I had the opportunity to go. I was on a cliff and it was at the Seven Sisters Cliffs and they have the sheer White Rock faces and I looked down and there was the churning water beneath and above, there was the beauty of the clouds are puffy and Serene and the wind was whipping in the grass with greed.

Fabregas, did at the beauty of the guy who took the time that we could enjoy his creation. The beauty set before us. I prayed and I will admit to you is one of the most connected time I've ever felt to God in my entire life. Walking in creation, Octonauts tries to the beauty of Paul in and of itself. Who created it and why it's there?

And yet, we see in Romans 1 that the tendency for asses humans. To exchange the glory, in the beauty of God, for the created things. And then we have this Litany of sins. This list of issues that they run into because they did not accept God as he was. They wanted him T-Mobile and controllable. So, they made their gods, their appetites, and their passions. Induced actions in turn control them. Just as they control us, if we're not careful.

And yet, the Pinnacle of creation is not the trees and the birds as awesome as they are. Its Humanity, Genesis. 1:31, creation is declared good. Very good. All creation is good. But humanity is exceedingly and very good.

And humans are beautiful. And we respect God's image. Throughout scripture men and women are both described as beautiful. And yet we see that that beauty, which is so enticing. So and am ring sauce, if only skin deep is worthless. Because in Proverbs 31 and we have the ideal woman. We do not see her as one who is merely beautiful or attractive. In an outward sense. She has the fear of the Lord Provost 1. Proverbs 31 rather it says Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. How does one seven tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom? It seems contrasting in our minds. I think this issue between Beauty with beauty is something that we often we want. Something controllable and usable something that can become useful to us. And yet, we see that in the beauty and glory of God. There is this appropriate. Fear of cootie is the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

In the image of God that's declared in Genesis 1:26. It is not a passive thing. We are to be actively Imaging god with men, and women together are necessary to have the image of God. This relational capacity, this mandate to subdue and fill the Earth. And this quote from Lewis, I think helps us as we look at our relationships and those around us. We tend to misunderstand who we are as humans and identity. Who's we are.

In the weight of Glory, his sermon CS Lewis says There Are No Ordinary People. You have never talked to a mere mortal Nations, cultures, art, civilization. He's immortal. And their life is to ours at the life of a nap, but it is a mortal sin. We joke with work with Mary snub and exploit Immortal Horrors or Everlasting splendors. And our charity must be real. A costly love with deep feelings for the sins, in spite of which we love the sinner. You're going to say that the closest thing to your senses outside of Christ as we come to him. Is our neighbor as we sit across someone on the bus? They're holding the almost the same way for inner Christian. Neighbor. Christ is truly hidden. And this beauty that's reflected in creation is also respected in Austin and part two part two. It doesn't, but it ought to transform the way that we interact with each other in a way that we treat each other because if we're not merely objects and that's the very easy way to default to retreat as objects. We treat others is objects and yet we're image Bears, the homeless person on the street is an image Bearer impoverished. People are image Bears, Behati rich person on TV is still in the image of God.

Until we look out and we think are we Imogen God. Are we living beautiful eyes that reflect his Beauty and Glory. And this image is marred. And so, we need something better. We need someone better. We look to the Revelation in the face of God, for what it means to be truly human is found in the face of Jesus Christ. Psalm 80 verse 7 says, restore us o, God of hosts, but your face shine that we may be. Safe. Face is radiant. And where he is for his people, there is salvation. There's Deliverance.

And yet, when God came in the form of a man incarnate,

Isaiah prophesied of him as a beautiful King and yet, he also said he would not be beautiful or desirable to us.

And yet,. So God is resting in him.

And displayed in the beauty of the face of Jesus Christ. He's the image of the invisible. God. Creation, creation, all things weather in heaven or on Earth. Were made through him for in him. That is priced. All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. Cuz we come to Christ. This is a beauty that we seek after not the beauty of creation. Not only the beauty of those around us. Although we ought to reflect that beauty. We look to who Jesus is.

Until we turn the 2nd Corinthians 3:18, and we see that we all with unveiled faces beholding. The glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same and it's from one degree of Glory to another awesome.

Excited.

Cod who said let light shine out of Darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. In the face of Jesus Christ, we are transformed as we come into the presence of God. And if we are not being transformed, as we come into the presence of God, it is indicative. I have a hardened heart not taking the time to do so. Been thinking about all the things that I think we are not Hearts the way that God has revealed himself. God is speaking. And the question is with, if we are listening.

And we get caught up by a Dollar Tree by the idols in our lives. Remember an idol is anything that takes the place of God, anything that we put in his place?

Anything that is worshipped in the place that the true God, whatever the heart claims to for Ultimate Security. Whatever is substituted. For God is nidal, Weatherstone. There's money at Earth relationship. That thing is taking the place of God. Is an idol.

GK, bill in his book, we become what we worship. He has his thesis his argument, his mind, he repeats again and he repeats in different ways. He says, we become what we worship either for ruin at restoration. we know that what we seek after we become like, And we know that we need to be made into a new creation. Because we are so drawn to these Idols to these images. And so in 2nd Corinthians 4, Paul does not give a defense for his ministry. For proclaiming who God is in this Glory that we experience since Why didn't his amazing work? He does it in the face of adversity. They are accusing him of having an illegitimate Ministry. Paul is being accused and one of the things he has to do and just about all his books. He has to give it a fence to why he's legitimately a servant of God expressing who got is why he has to be listened to. And if you think of your resume or pedigree that you would give to say, I'm Legit. Listen to me. When I say matters, you wouldn't usually go and I suffered this that I suffered this but it's what Paul does. He says we are afflicted in every way not crushed perplexed and not driven to despair persecuted but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying in the body, the death of Jesus. At the life of Jesus may also be manifest in our bodies. We are aware that in this world, we suffer. If we encounter Trials of various kinds, we know that life is hard. And if we think But the world is only for full of beauty alone. We are mistaken. There is much sin and harm that will come test as well.

But as we come into the presence of God, we want to look to who do we model after who came into the presence of God responds, right away. It was just at the end, they amaze us by repenting. They did what they were supposed to. They confess their sin. I want you to travel back in time with me to the people that Israel in the book of Exodus and imagine the coming out of Egypt. The 10 plagues that sees its cinematic style fits its theatrical.

Accountants. God on Mount Sinai as he's meeting with Moses and he's going into Ten Commandments. He says I am the Lord God who brought you out of Egypt. One. You shall have no other gods before me. Okay, we go on together since Moses comes down to it. A mountain is trembling like a lintel structure and smoke is blowing. And the Thunder is rumbling, and the lightning and the voice of God can be audibly heard. They're taking all their gold earrings, not God. He's doing he's not taking care of us. Has been up there too long. We don't know what's going on. We have to make our hands busy. And so they build the golden calf. And when Moses comes down, he destroys it, and he's the Ten Commandments and he has to go back up to recreate them. And when he does and in the face of the fury of God, he says, well he goes down and he worships in the presence of God,. He says, if now I have found favor in your sight. Oh Lord, let the Lord go in the Mets, device for his stiff-necked, people and hard in our iniquity and our sin and take us for your inheritance. And when he came down from the mountain, his face was visibly. Shining. The glory of God within his face to the point. That when the Israelite people saw him. They said to cover up. But if they love your face, we don't want to deal with that now. Because you've been in the presence of God, we don't want He was really dating in the presidents that were in the face of Moses. And so this is the precursor to 2nd Corinthians 3, it's Paul walking through what's going on. Now of who Christ is and how this bill relates to us. And so, we know that, as we come to God was unveiled face. We reflect his Beauty And His glory just as Moses did.

Or we can both try Sia. Being commissioned in Isaiah 6. Been given a vision of the throne room of God. Again with smoke and glory and Splendor. He says, woe is me.

Is Cigna pain and accusation paying I conditioned against himself? I am lost for I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips to my eyes, have seen the king, the lord of House. What an appropriate response to who God is. Not only is he beautiful? We are to respond with aw and repent of our sins and turn away from it. Where can we get JoJo? Had a rough life? Joe, did not have it easy and I think we're usually where it's at. But one of the things I'm Amazed by the interaction between God and Jo Jo back, you're going through everything. His friends accuse him. He loses everything, everything. His life has worked. His life's work. His children are dead. Everything is gone from everything that he's worked for. And so after being accused for many, many chapters, by all of his friends, trucos, do you not care about what I'm going through? Now, it makes total sense righteous. He's had a hard life and he's just asking God and yet we don't have a response out of the ruins out of the room. Gordon who he is. He says, where were you when I made the world? You, I told the ocean stop here and go. No further. You and the mountain mountain goat, kiss birth. Computer answers, not there. There you was not there at the beginning. End of the world.

Intel chip response, he says appropriately. I had heard rumors about you, but now my eyes have seen you there for, I take back my word, then I repent and Dustin ashes. If you encounter the Living God and our last with a mere feeling of warmth, and your self-esteem is little better.

You haven't come into the presence of God.

You come into the presence of God of our own making. Bastard over whatever she is doing and Idol. I crave an image of Our Own Heart rent. Our own minds.

What's reality?

Beauty is not something that it's easy to create. Where to take time for when your classes? Chest, always, leave you on the back, but you always feel like you're behind. When you get to Monday morning, and he realized I can that you're still on the third shift burned out.

When that one family member that you can't stand comes into town. Could you have them? And you're expected to wait on them hand and foot as if you are a five star hotel.

Reality, it's hard. And if we have lived, one moment with an honest heart, we know that it's hard to be human. It's hard to see beauty.

Start a beautiful like hot is.

That's what I'm here to tell you. Your pain is real. The pain matters where you were going through is legitimate issue. Thank God cares and perhaps one of the most.

But one of the largest issues that we come to you in the Christian church today and Protestant Evangelical has them is that when we have issues, if we're allowed to don't bring them to God. We take them everywhere but to the presence of God and if we look at the store hummus and what they did, what they said. We see a pattern of a prayer of Lament. We think that bring our aging Hearts to God is an admission that he somehow not powerful enough or not good enough to do what we want him to do. And the reality is whether he does, but we want him to do or not and still cares about what we're going through. Until I prove the man is expressing, the aching hurt that we didn't do it in our enduring as a people. We we ought to do this corporately individually and prayer of the men is not saying that God is not good, or loving or kind or just Telling him. But you're finding it hard to believe. And then stating that he is still worthy of Praise even especially when it doesn't feel like it.

Not only does God care about our pain. The Whispers to us in our Pleasures, he speaks in our conscience, he shouts in our pain, it is his megaphone to route to death world.

God cares about our pain. Is beauty also ought to lead us and drag us into worship.

We ought to care about who he is. And to pray at the psalmist. One thing have I asked the Lord that I will seek after. But I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple. The world is going to redefine SKU and pervert, whatever truth and Beauty. God gives us.

This is not me saying this, it's the reality. So we have to be aware of that and we have to seek out who God is and as we see him we are changed by him. As we come into His presence. He wants to be around two more. We want to be like him. We fight. We want to be like Jesus. I tried to come to church.

Come to church to remember who we are because week in and week out. Monday to Saturday the world is trying to say. Nope. That's not who you are with someone else. You're something else. You're good to someone else. You're good for something else. And we remember our identity in Christ as we come back and we sing songs and we pray prayers of confession and the men at the her that we experience in our lives.

God has a hope for you. If you're coming to the presence of God and you think of Jesus as being timid week or tap it like lukewarm water. That is not Jesus. Because he went to the lamb at the lamb to the slaughter. He was silent because he was Meek not weak.

His strength been on ends. His goodness and during he is The Well of eternal life that he offers to all who drink.

He's the one through whom for him and by whom all things were made and currently held together.

Jesus is relevant to your life. He is beautiful. And he would Undo You. As Isaiah and Joe Bob and Moses come into the presence of the Living. God didn't go. Well, I'm good. Now. I thought you were something else. I I don't really need you after all a Bow Down and Worship.

Because he would remake us as a new creation. In Christ. We are being made into a new creation, is what he's doing it as the work. He's currently doing right now right here.

I think too often we ask, what would Jesus do? Wwjd as if he's some past tense.

Instead the question is, what is Jesus currently doing? What is he doing? In our lives? And where on Earth is he taking us?

Take to Austin. We become hot to normative and normalize language of Heaven. And we think of it as this ethereal. Out. I mean, you know, the typical. Idea of what people think of, when they think of happen? And yet, that is not the narrative that scripture gives us. Jesus is remaking this world. The new heavens and you aren't. That's what we see in Revelation. We see Jerusalem, a real play remade as his bride. Who else is called his bride just church. And what does the husband do for his pride? Keep beautifies her.

It helps her to become who she is meant to be.

One day, we will see the face of God.

One day, we will see him as he is. And one day we will be, as we should be. Truly human.

I like the clothes they giving you this quote. I found quite helpful.

God is the consummation of all that is beautiful and the summation of all that the faithful desire. Come Lord, Jesus. Come to Stay With Me.

But we are so grateful for who you are for your presents, your goodness, your beauty. Please transfer my heart's in our minds. He Come As You Are? 95, but beautiful. You're so thankful for who you are, what you are doing. Are you are taking us? You would not leave us here in our pain and our sorrow. You were taking us to a place where they will be. No more tears, no more sorrow. We're so thankful Lord, in the name of Jesus.

Thank you.