Believe Series
Session 2
“God is Personal”
Key Question: Does God care about me?
Key Idea: I believe God is involved in & cares about my daily life.
Deeply personal – God knows us.
George Methodist Church
28th January 2018
8am and 10 am
Peter Veysie
Key Verse: Psalm 121: 1, 2
“The LORD is my shepherd…” Psalm 23:1a
Matthew 6: 25 -34
Illus: My grumpy attitude and the transformation through Rev Mnisi and his “sinner” exercise.
- Our God is transcendent.
He is above us and beyond us
“The LORD is exalted over all the nations…” Psalm 113:4ff
He is different from us.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9
- Our God is immanent.
He is near us. Facebook and attitude. Presenting a virtue of ourselves. We don’t show it all on Facebook but God knows us and even with all our failures loves us.
If someone knew all the things about us would they still love me or love me less. We often take this and apply it to God.
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the
moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is
humankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you
care for them?” Psalm 8:3‐4 (Isaiah 57:15)
He is ever‐present.
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your
presence…” Psalm 139:7ff
“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him
in truth.” Psalm 145:18
At some of the bleakest times of our lives we need to know that God is as close as the air on your skin. Profound moments of revelation that we have experienced.
He wants to know us.
“that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and
find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him
we live and move and have our being.’” Acts 17:27‐28
TO LIVE TO MOVE AND TO HAVE OUR BEING IN THE VERY ONE WHO CREATED US IS TO BE SATISFIED FROM ABOVE. It is a satisfaction that keeps us going even in the toughest of times. The testimony of the nursing sister at Geneva Clinic.
We have got to get this though. Our God is a gentleman and offers us a loving relationship but we have to take a step to Him. It is not automatic. James says:
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8a and Paul says:
God has reached down to us (Phil. 2:6‐8).
- Our God is providential.
He wants to save us
“This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people
to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
SALVE ATION – Ointment on our wounds
1 Timothy 2:3‐4
He promises to provide for us
“The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has
made…The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food
at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires
of every living thing.” Psalm 145:9,15‐16
“So do not worry… For the pagans run after all these things,
and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31‐33
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7
- God gives us direction
He promises to direct us
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall
direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5‐6 (NKJV)
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6
He promises to never leave us
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Heb. 13:5b
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20b
How Do We Respond?
Love Him through our worship
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the
Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1ff
Love Him through our obedience
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And His
Commands are not burdensome” 1 John 5:3
“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15
Love Him with all you have
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”
Mark 12:29‐30 (Deut. 6:4‐5)
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