Learning How To Enjoy God

In God's gift of Holy Communion in just a bit, but I'd like to share the word with you today in Isaiah 43. You'll turn in your Bibles today if you have them with you. Isaiah 43. And I'll just read a portion of that text this morning. But now this is what the Lord says. He who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt for you, your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and people in exchange for your life. Just the other day, as I began a regular meeting with one of my staff members, she asked in her own sweet and quotable fashion, Are you okay? And I know the point of fact that that isn't asked unless she wonders if you are or not, and has reason to ask that. And this morning, my message really is going to comprise the answer to that question. It's probably a little bit of a departure from my normal teaching. I hope you'll permit me that luxury as I assess the intensity of last week's message on freedom and responsibility in the United States. As I looked ahead to this week and saw David Hunter bringing a message on the passion for the gospel, and I know Pastor Alexei is firing up already for next Sunday, I figured this week would be okay to be just a little bit less intense. And so I'd like to relate to you kind of where I am as your pastor, not the church, but me personally as it relates to the Lord and to his word and to where God has me in these days. And I think it's particularly appropriate that I do this right now because following next Sunday's celebration, I will be taking a few weeks of study leave and going out of the office and doing some other things, setting myself to seek the Lord specifically for our future and where we will be going as a church. And so this is a time for me to sort of assess where I'm at, what's really happening with me. The title for this morning's message has changed. If you drove by and you saw that it was something like the impossibility of knowing God, I of course said that somewhat on the rhetorical side, it is certainly possible to know him, but I've changed the title to this. Learning how to enjoy God. Learning how to enjoy him. Are you ready to do that? Boy, am I ready to do that. But I don't always understand him, as I said. I don't always know that I understand why he does the things that he does. I didn't bother asking him why. It rained all the Fourth of July. I can't always please him. I don't always understand why I don't have the power to do what I want to do to please him. But on the one hand, because I'm a bit overwhelmed by projects and properties and people needs and elders and evangelism and all those things, it's good to be able to say I'm going to put that aside a bit and just focus on enjoying the Lord. I find myself really enjoying him. I find myself appreciating him like I never have. I'd like to share with you from Isaiah 43 how that's happening in my life, and maybe, just maybe, it'll be an encouragement to a few of you today. The first thing I'm really appreciating about God is that he's my creator. He's my creator. I'm learning how totally different God is from me. He is in another whole category of existence. I don't know whether it's the fact that I'm becoming an American who's willing to lay down his invincibility, or maybe it's just the vestiges of human pride finally being rooted out, or maybe I'm just getting old. But more than ever in my life, I understand how God is of a whole nother order from me. I sat this morning at 530 in our deck in the back of our house, and we're privileged to look out on the east and watch the sun come up. I said, Lord, how'd you do that? It's just so perfect. And I know that I don't have a clue. And I say, God, you're just awesome. Psalm 113 verse 5 said, who is like the Lord our God? With whom can you compare him? What person or ideology or object can compare with God? Ayatollahs come and go. God remains the same. It's taken me many years, but I am increasingly appreciating what all those theological terms I learned in seminary mean when it comes to describing God. Maybe you've heard them in Discovering the Way or one of Grant Smith's theology classes. The word, for example, omnipotent. It means all-powerful. It means that no government, no dictator, no military strongman can defeat the purposes of the Lord our God. It means that when God determines to do something, he can always get it done. When Elisha walked out and saw the troops that surrounded the city where he was, and his servant melted like wax, and Elijah said, Lord, open his eyes to see. And he looked up, and the angels that surrounded him on flaming swords were greater than those that had come against Elisha. That's the way it is. And folks, what that's beginning to mean to me is that any problem that I have is pretty small for God to handle, and I love it. I'm enjoying that these days. I'm enjoying the fact that God is omniscient. That means he's all-knowing. He knows everything. There's never a day that God just scratches in his head and says, well, what am I going to do with this? He's never confused. He's never stumped. He knows how to handle every problem that I face. He already has the answer, and you know what? He already knows every answer to the problems of our society. Experts tell us that there's not going to be a cure for AIDS for at least 10 years. At least. They have no idea. God knows the answer. God can figure out what strain has to go back to what? To heal every AIDS patient. I'm enjoying the fact that God is omnipresent. It means that he's everywhere. Now, I always knew that up here, but isn't it wonderful to know that when you walk into a dark room at night, and you're frightened, he's there? Isn't it wonderful to know that you don't need to pray the prayer, Lord be with me? Isn't that great? We just sort of pray that automatically, but folks, listen, you ought to just thank him. Lord, I thank you that you're getting in the car with me to go down McKnight Road. I'm enjoying the fact that God, number four, is gracious. He's so gracious. He's so different than we are, you know? Man has a time when he's gracious, but you know when man is usually gracious? When he finds a person that he kind of likes. You know, a person that's sort of deserving, a nice guy, a good neighbor, a hard worker. And then we tend to just pour out a little bit of graciousness upon them. But our God seems to delight in finding someone who's a bit ornery, rebellious, unlovely, sometimes even ungrateful, and certainly not living up to the standards of holiness and the expectations of righteousness, and God delights in pouring out blessing on them. Grace means, in God's eyes, that I'll give it to people who don't deserve it, and I don't understand that. How many of you find it easy to be nice to the ones who are nice? That's the way we are. God's not that way. And related to that, I'm finding God to be faithful beyond my wildest expectations. I'm enjoying his faithfulness. Psalm 57 10 says, his faithfulness reaches to the heavens. You know when I find God most faithful? When my back's against the wall. When I don't have a route, an escape plan B figured out, that's when I find God to be most faithful. When I say, Lord, if it doesn't happen by your power, it's not gonna happen, that's when I find God to be faithful. He always keeps his word to me, and I'm enjoying the fact that the Lord is righteous these days. He is righteous. He is absolutely just. In other words, he doesn't make a mistake in his judgments. The Supreme Court made a decision this last week, half the country thinks it's the wrong one. Are you enjoying the fact that God never makes a wrong decision? He shows no partiality. He has no favorites, and that's important, because you can look at a brother and sister and say, well, look at all that they have. Folks, God plays no favorites. He's totally righteous. I love God more and more for the fact that he's unchangeable. He never changes in his character or in his conduct. I don't mean he's boring and, oh, you know, there he is, you know, another day with God. What I mean is that God never changes his values and his character and his qualities. He doesn't have any mood swings. There's never gonna be a time when one angel is gonna come up to another one and tap him on his shoulder and say, what's wrong with him today? Looking at God. To the God who is so powerfully there with Abraham and Moses and Daniel and David and Isaiah and Jeremiah and Peter and Ruth and Naomi and Lydia and Paul, that same God has not changed. And I'm enjoying that. And I'm enjoying his sovereignty. I'm enjoying the fact that God rules over all things, you know. The Lord understands how people search for God and in Psalm 115 he says, Why do the nation say where is their God? Our God is in heaven. He does whatever pleases him. Their idols are silver and gold made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have eyes, but they cannot see. Ears that cannot hear. Noses, but they cannot smell. And they have hands, but cannot feel. And feet that cannot walk. I want to tell you today, I'm discovering that God has a mouth. And he does speak. And don't you delight to come and hear him, get before him and have him open his word and speak right into your life? Are you delighted that God sees you, his eyes work, he knows when you're waving your hand and knee? God does hear your cry. He does hear your prayer. He does stretch his hand out and touch. He's not like the idols that man raises for himself. And I'm just enjoying that. He's a true God. There's none like him. He is so praiseworthy that this moment the angels are surrounding the throne and they're singing in one accord. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And they've been doing it since eternity past, in eternity present and on into eternity future. And you know what else I know from the word? That some of my friends are there with me. And one day I'll be there. You'll be there. And we'll see God for who he really is. Not this sort of through a mirror darkly, but seeing for who he really is. And we'll join with that chorus. And it might just even be a little better than we do here. And we sing worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lord God Almighty. I'm enjoying that. One more thing about this. As my creator, I'm also enjoying the fact that I never need to defend God. You know, people who don't know God, they intimidate us. Like, who do you think you are with this God of yours? I'm discovering that I don't need to defend God. There's none like him. They don't know what they're missing. And I'm proud of God, aren't you? I mean, in that sense, I'm proud of him. I love him for who he is. And I don't want people out there to think that I'm embarrassed about God. How ridiculous. Do you know him today? Some of you aren't sure that you do. But he loves you. And I'm enjoying knowing him. Secondly, as my companion, Isaiah 43. For I've redeemed you and I've called you by name. You know, the Lord has treated me so well. As I look at my life, I am amazed at how good God is. The word says that I've redeemed you. You know what the word redeemed means? How many of you ever collected stamps? Remember green, S and H, green stamps? To redeem means to purchase for a price. You see, I was a slave to sin. Sin was my master and it had me in its clutches and it owned me. One day Jesus said, how much for that life right there? How much for that life? And the slave master said, here's my price, your life for his. Jesus said, so, and he gave his life for mine. Then he rose again and came back in his new life. And I've been free ever since that day that I received that life, that gift, that redemption. Dear ones, I'm enjoying the security I know as a son of God. I feel like, you know, nothing really can happen to me that's ever going to change that. I love being part of this family. A while back, I was with my son Jonathan, just the two of us, and we made a little campfire. This was on our trip. And he wanted to roast some marshmallows. And it was one of those golden moments, you know, early evening in the Rocky Mountains. A million gnats and flies. We got this campfire going. Pulled out his marshmallows, dropped a couple in the fire. We finally got things to where it needed to be. Pulled one out, and he looked at me and said, he said, dad, I really love being in this family. Don't you? I thought about that van ride. I thought about the, I'm first in the shower squabbles, and McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken or Long John Silver fights. And finally said, yeah, I'm glad I'm in this family too. And that's the way we are with God. You know, we squabble and we bicker and we complain. But God is glad that we're in His family. And I'm glad to be in that family. It's funny, folks. There are so many out there who want to be and don't know how to be. You know that? I walked, drove my car up, rather, and walked into Wendy's. Or Racks, one of those. I guess it was Racks. I parked at Wendy's and walked to Racks. That's what I did. And I walked in, and a member of our church, who I'm sure will be here this morning, was there with a co-worker who doesn't come to our church, and another person. And I greeted them. And the friend asked, he said, can I ask Jay that question? And the guy said, sure, ask him. He said, what do you think about eternal security? You know, can a man lose his salvation? You see, when you go out to lunch, people say, what do you think of the pirate game? And I get these questions. You know, this guy's whole life is in the balance. And I'm standing over this hamburger. I just want to eat and go back. And we talked about that. And I had to say to him, you know, I said, that's a good question, but I haven't thought about it for so long because I don't worry about it. I'm part of the family. I just know that. You know, I'm learning to enjoy the way God cares about me because the Bible says He calls me by name. I love that. He knows my name. He doesn't spell it wrong like everyone else does. You know, when I was a little guy, nine or ten years old, my mom had just found Christ. She had been in a religious denominational background for years. And I don't think against denomination, but she was in it for years and found Jesus as her savior. Came into a relationship with him. And she had walked in 30 years of this religion and found this new freedom. And she knew, you know, I was 10 years old. She knew I was looking for the same thing. I really wasn't, but, you know, she thought I was. And so she took me to all these meetings where all these grown-ups were really, you know, studying their Bibles. And, you know, she'd ask me, do you want to go again? I said, yeah, Mom, I'd really like to go again. And here we go. But I do remember one time I went to one of these meetings and we all stood up and all the people had me stand in the middle of the circle and they prayed and there was all these sounds coming out and I was looking up at these big people. I said, wow. And one person said at the end of this little prayer time, she said, the Lord has great plans for this young man. I was 10 years old, you know. He figured, I'm going to need a new bike or something, you know. He figured it's going to be great. But, you know, the last 30-some years of my life have just been watching God fulfill his plans in my life. That's what it's been. And I've messed it up a lot, folks. I mean, I've made dumb choices. I've been doing things I shouldn't have been doing. God's given me a great family along the way, you know. My greatest regret in this church is I just don't have enough time to know you all the way I'd like to. Believe me, that's true. It tears me up when I just, I see so many people I want to know so much better. God's plans for me, I just, they tear me up. They're wonderful. My heart just, you know, he led me 350 miles to a university I'd never really heard of and a town I'd never been to, to a campus where there was no established fellowship so that I would find one man who would help me to grow in Christ. It didn't make any sense. I still know why I went there. God led me. He led me to start a youth group and he had a plan for me to do it in the middle of the Marine Corps with, you know, absolutely no reason to do it. We started a youth group in Quantico, Virginia and saw like 75 or 80 kids come to those meetings and many of them found Christ and are all over the world now. Then he sent me, his plan was to send me out to California. I figured I'd go out and save California. If you could save the Marine Corps, you could save California, probably. Got out there. The first month I was out there, the Lord just absolutely knocked the bottom out of me. I wasn't even allowed to be part of a staff of people because I was so in need of some maturing. And God loved me so much that he let me hit the bottom that first year of seminary and let me see that apart from him, I had nothing to give. Helped me to see that he didn't need my strength and my cuteness or any of that kind of stuff. He needed to be Lord. He loved me that much and he called me by name. You know, people often ask me here, they say, are you surprised at North Way's growth? What's happening? I always have two answers. One is no because God said he was going to do a great thing. I don't think this is necessarily even great yet in God's mind, but we're going that way. And then I say, yes, I am surprised because I don't know why he chose to use me and a few of us that got in the way. Why did he choose us? Why not? And you name any other church, a pastor or elders, you know. Many times I sit in my office on a Friday or a Saturday and the countdown is on. Remember those exams you used to take and you knew you were going to walk in? And the clock's running. You know, 8.30 Sunday morning comes, every Sunday morning at 8.30. And I'm in there on a Friday or Saturday and I say, Lord, what do you want to say this week? He says, just trust me. I said, Lord, you can say that because you're not going to stand up here. I've got to say that. You've got to tell me something. I don't have a clue what's going to happen. And you know what I'm finding? He loves me so much that he does tell me things and I marvel at it. I really do. I don't have any reason for it to be that way, but he just does it. And I so appreciate it. And then he sends me people. My staff and the elders. They fill up my weaknesses and they make me a more complete person. I really love God for these men and women that he sends around me. And then he says in Isaiah 43, 4, listen, he said, because I love you, I will give you men in exchange for your life. I'm so enjoying the fact that I'm giving you men. And that's the term men and women in exchange for our lives. As we call in the harvest from the north and the south and east and the west, folks, here's the kind of thing that happens. I got this letter this week. I have permission to read a portion of it. Dear Pastor Jay, I'm a member of North Way and I really enjoy your preaching. This is a great letter already. Before I started coming to your church, I was a drunk and a drug user. I tried just about everything to get help, but nothing seemed to work and I was feeling suicidal. One night, I took an overdose of pills and was admitted to the intensive care unit of Pasadena Hospital. While I was there, I met a nurse who goes to North Way. You see, we talk about the ministry being out there. This faithful nurse. We know who it was. She was very nice to me and I could tell she really had something that brought her happiness and joy. And after I was released from the hospital, I started feeling depressed and suicidal again. And so I thought, I'll try North Way as a last attempt at getting help. The first time I went to North Way was on a Wednesday night. Messed up the whole program. Here it comes, Wednesday night. I was a total stranger, but I met a lot of really nice people who took me under their wing and helped me. Before I started coming to North Way, I didn't have any friends. And now I have friends that really care about me. I didn't know people like that existed before I started coming to North Way. Thanks to God in North Way, I've quit drinking, using drugs, and smoking. Praise God, he says. The Lord said he'd give us men in exchange for our lives. I marvel at it, church. I marvel at his goodness. I'm enjoying so much abundance. Psalm 23, verse 1, says, The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything that I need. I have a wonderful wife, family, good health, wonderful church. And I could just go on knowing that I'll deserve it. I was riding with Pastor Alexei and Michael and Olga yesterday. Took them for a ride in my car. And we went out to Cranberry looking at this and that. Michael looked up and he said, You have so much abundance in America. I said, I know. And he didn't say it like it's all from the devil and you hate it. He said, God has blessed you. And I said, I know. He's my friend. He's my companion. You know something, church? The greatest blessing is that there were times that I didn't have anything. And the stuff does not bring the joy. It's the companion. It's the friend. Finally and very quickly, I'm enjoying God for the fact that He's also my coming king. As marvelous as it sounds and as almost unfathomable as it is to the mind, God says that it's going to get better. And I can say, and how many of you who've known the Lord for a while can say it's better now than it was ten years ago. You see, evidence says that it's getting better and the Word of God tells me as it says in Isaiah 43, forget the former things, verse 18. Do not dwell in the past. See, I'm doing a new thing. Now it springs up. Do not perceive it. It's incomprehensible to me that the Bible says that surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. It's only going to get better. God's leading in my life has taken all kinds of turns. But He promises that He's going to be with me, that He's going to answer my prayers, that He's going to keep illuminating His Word and empowering me by His Spirit, letting me build relationships, give me wisdom. For me, dear ones, life's an adventure. It's not a rut. I don't hate to get up in the morning and say, oh, I've got to go. I love being alive. And I know there's no guarantees that these external things, they may change. You know, God could lead me to the mission field. I'm open to that. He could lead me to a third world country. He might throw me into prison to suffer for His name. I might be sent to Cleveland. I don't know. But He promises that He's going to be with me and keep me close to Himself and be purposeful. And then He says, one day, in the twinkling of an eye, just like that, He's going to take this body that's worn out and He's going to change it like His glorious, immortal body. And He's going to call me up to Heaven and He's going to put His arm around me and in words that I really fail to totally grasp, Jesus is going to stand right here beside me before the throne of His glory. And He's going to say to the holy, righteous, glorious Father of all, He's going to say, Father, this one is mine. We go back a ways. And the Father is going to say, Welcome home, Son. Now enter in. Do you understand that? I don't know if I understand it. No more sickness, no more sin, no more sorrow. No handicaps, no hurt, just eternal glory. I don't know if you'd call this a real sermon today, but I guess as I look at my life, I just want you to know I'm learning how to enjoy God. And dear friend, I want to go back to something that I said. He loves you the same as He loves me. And if you have given your life to Him, you can anticipate the things I've talked about today. You can know Him more fully as your Creator, more perfectly as a companion, and more confidently as your coming King. You can know Him. I want to say to those of you who've walked with the Lord for a while, if you've found that your first love is waning, use this communion time as an opportunity to be restored in the enjoying of God. And if you've never come to Christ, and listen, even at this service, there are some of you who are in the process of discovering God. Why not receive Him today? Why not make a clear decision that says from this point on, God, I will live for you no matter what the rest of the world says. You'll never regret it. Whatever you do, don't play games with Him. But I have to say, even if you do, He'll still love you. He's that kind of God. Let's stand together, shall we? Father, I pray that everyone hearing this message today would take some time to learn to enjoy You. I so enjoy You, Lord. And I want to grow in it, Lord. Even as Miguel sang this morning, deep within my heart, I cry, Abba, Father, I just want to know You. I just want to know You. Before we come to the Lord's table and celebrate His communion, His communion cup, and His body together, you can look up for a moment. I want to ask you very clearly today, have you come to a place in your relationship with God that you know with certainty that you have entered in past a religious understanding to a personal friendship with Christ? That you've been cleansed from your sin? Friend, you're no different. I'm no better than you. No one in this church, just because someone lifts their hands, or claps, they're no better than you. We all need to be saved by grace. I have a hunch today that there are a few of you who say, I want that to be my experience. I want to know God. And if you'll invite Him right now, He will come into your life, right into your heart. And He'll move out whatever's been in the way before. He'll take the doubts and put them away. He loves you that much. You just need to ask Him, man. Let's bow our heads in prayer. I'm going to ask you right now, if you want to know Christ personally, and you're not sure that that's true in your life, right now with me, pray this prayer. Heavenly Father, I desire, forgive my sin today. Forgive my clutching and my fears. And even my rebellion and my questions. And receive me. I come to you. I come to you. I want to know you. And I ask you in the name of Jesus. And with every head bowed, for just another moment, please, if you prayed with me or you've been in the process over these last weeks of coming to know God, and you say, I want to make that declaration today, I want to agree with you. It's a very powerful thing. The Bible says, if two or more of us agree and earth is touching anything we ask, it will be done for us. And right now, I'm going to agree with those of you who just prayed. Every head is bowed. If you'll lift your head and let our eyes meet right where you're standing, I will agree with you right where you stand that God is invading your life and establishing it. All right. Lift your eyes right this moment. Let them meet mine if you pray. And I'll agree with you. Both of you look, and I agree with you both, establishing that relationship in Christ today. And yes, sir, I see you and I agree with you too in the name of Jesus. Lift your head and lift your hand if I look over and out to the right and don't see you. Ma'am in the red, is that why you're looking at me? All right. Just nod your head if it is. All right. I agree with you in the name of Jesus. Receiving that relationship in here. Yes, sir, I see you. God bless you. You know, He loves you so much. He's going to change your life from this day on. Other others, wave at me if I miss your eyes and don't be embarrassed on this right section in the center once again and now on the left. If you lifted your head, now lift it back up and let me see. Wave your hand if there's anyone else over here. Wave at me. Say, Pastor Jay, I want the Lord in my life. Father, secure now every one of these new family members and those of us, Lord, who are knowing that we need to be made secure in Jesus' name. That night that Jesus was betrayed, He took that bread. Symbolic of His body. You see, communion stands for intimate fellowship. Here's what He said, Take and eat, for this is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance. To remember means that you do it in a way that brings it back to life. As you receive communion today, would you take it in a way that brings that first love back to life? Amen. Be seated please. Ushers, if you'll come right now and hold your portion for just a couple of minutes and we'll share it together. Lord, restore. Lord, we're now holding our hands in remembrance of that redemption price that was paid. Lord, You've redeemed us. You've called us by name. Now we belong to You. Let's share together now, shall we, the body of the Lord Jesus. So much could be said about the cup. The term blood brothers is familiar to us. It's the most intimate kind of relationship known to man. Jesus gave His blood for us that we would be blood brothers to the Son of God. What a privilege and what a joy and what a power is contained in this cup. Ushers, if you'll come and once again please hold your portion, your cup and we'll share it together in just a moment. The cup of the Lord Jesus. As we sing up here, why don't you sing with us, Lord, I love you more than anything. I love you more than anything. I love you more than anything. I love you. Lord, I give my life to you. I love you more than anything. I love you more than anything. I love you. Lord, I give my life to you. So we praise you, Lord. I praise you. You're the only one. I praise you. You're the only one. Lord, I give my life to you. Lord, I give my life to you. Lord, we start fresh right this moment, every one of us. We receive the cup of forgiveness of sins in the blood of Jesus. And Lord, wherever my brothers and sisters are today in their walk with you, I just pray that they'd meet you and find you and go on with you from this moment, closer to your heart. In Jesus' name. The cup of Jesus, let's share it together.