Recognizing God through the Clutter of Life

Introduction:

God has always pursued a loving relationship with man. It can be experienced today in the Christian life. How do we view God? Some emphasize God only from the angle of His punishment for wrongdoing. We err when we view Him from only this angle. While God is a just God, He is also a loving God. We need to view God as our Father – someone who wants our success, only the best for us, and someone who loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Even with these verses, there are a number of times in our lives that God seems far away. The story of the Bible is God’s desire to be with people.

I.  God is our ____________________.

A.     Psalm 145:17-19

1.      Focus on 145:18.  He is near. No farther away than a ____________.

2.      He will protect us & deliver us from trials we confront.

B.     Psalm 46:1-3 – God is our ________________. He is our strength.

C.    Psalm 32:7-8 – God is there. This is a promise of __________________ care.

D.    Psalm 103:8-14

E.     Js. 1:17 – God is there & every _________________ thing given is from Him.

II. God is With Us.

A.     Joshua 1:1-9 - How would you have felt had you been in Joshua’s shoes?

1.      What was God’s ____________________?

2.      What was Joshua’s _____________________________?

3.      God assured him that He was with him wherever he went.

B.     Acts 18:5-11

1.      18:9-10 – what does God tell Paul?

2.      When we face uncertainty – we can have _________________ from God to press on.

III. What about the times we are convinced God is nowhere around?

A.     2 Kings 6:8-18

1.      What does this teach us?  Where are we __________________?

2.      The servant could only see the attack, the __________________.

3.      Romans 8:34-39; 2 Cor 4:18

4.      Spiritual eyes do not only see what is, but what can be done through the __________ of God.

B.     Deliverance here came through _____________________.

1.      Every time we are challenged/hindered – we are surrounded by His ____________________ and ____________________!

IV. A Look at Jesus.

A.     Jesus gives us the best example of a life lived in the presence of God.

1.      God’s presence impacted His __________, actions, and _________.

2.      John 5:17, 19-20, 30 - Everything Jesus did was from _______ power.

3.      How might your life be different if you truly believe God is closer than you think?

Conclusion:

A.     Numbers 6:24-25 - God’s face is turned toward us.  Can you see Him through the clutter of life?