"The Expansion Factor"
Psalm 119:105-112
Sunday, January 21, 2007
(taken from "Seismic Shifts" by Kevin G. Harney)

Introduction: Not too long ago my family and I went to Disneyland. We had fun going on many of the familiar rides (to Tea Cups, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, the Jungle Cruise). Then we decided to go on Space Mountain. Now if you don’t know, Space Mountain is a roller coaster, and my kids don’t usually do roller coasters. But they are getting older, and so they decided to go on it. As we were waiting in line, the kids got a little nervous (you know, sometimes waiting for something makes you more anxious than actually doing it). So we finally got to the ride, and as we got on Tyler decided to ride with me. Right before we started, Tyler wrapped his arms around my arm and held on tight for the whole ride! But at the end, when I asked him what he thought of the ride, he gave the ride a 10!!

Tyler’s strategy for the ride should be our strategy in life; to get through the highs and lows of life we need to hold on tight to our heavenly Father. And so today we are going to talk about 3 ways that we, by holding onto our Father, expand our faith and grow in our love for God.

I. From Me to God- (Isaiah 6:1; John 3:30; Matthew 17:20)

a. Overcoming myopia- You may have heard of the word “myopia.”

Myopia is a form of nearsightedness in which a person can’t see things unless they are very close. Another meaning of myopia is “one who can only see themselves.” The more they focus on themselves, the smaller the world becomes. It is not uncommon for people to be myopic in their lives. And when they are, they usually are unhappy when things don’t go their way. This carries over into their relationship with God, where they expect God to do certain things in their life, and when it doesn’t happen, then they get upset at God.

To makes sure that we don’t have a case of spiritual myopia, we need

to understand where we stand in perspective to this life and world.

This shift is turning our eyes away from ourselves as the center of the universe, and understand that God should be at the center. The prophet Isaiah experienced transformation when he “saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted.” John the Baptist had a very successful ministry, but he knew that the true focus of the ministry was to be on Christ, not himself. In John 3:30, we hear John the Baptist say: “He must become greater; I must become less.”

Everyone who follows Jesus wants their faith to grow. Because even the smallest of faith is powerful, as Jesus said in Matthew 17:20- “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” And we need to know that our faith can grow as big as the God that we know. The more we know about God, the bigger we see Him, and the more we can accomplish.

If we worship a tiny and powerless god of our own making, one we keep tucked away in a box on a shelf, our faith will be small, and we won’t accomplish much that makes a difference. And beyond this, those whose faith is small usually live in fear. C. S. Lewis, in his book The Silver Chair, paints a picture of this desire to reduce God to a manageable size. In a section of this book, a young girl named Jill has met Aslan, the great lion (who represents Jesus). She wants to get to a stream so she can have a drink. But Aslan is blocking the way. So Jill makes this request: “May I—could I—would you mind going away while I drink?” Aslan just gives her a low growl, and she realizes she might as well have asked for a mountain to move. So she asks a second question: “Will you promise not to—do anything to me, if I do come?” Aslan responds: “I make no promise.” “Do you eat girls?” she then asks.

What are we to do with a God so big that we can’t manage? How do you relate to a savior that doesn’t follow your instructions?

THE ANSWER IS THAT YOU WORSHIP AND FOLLOW THIS GOD!

b. Growing as worshipers- But to worship God, we need to understand

how to worship. The problem is that too many people don’t come prepared to worship. One problem is that people are not connected to God the whole week, doing their own thing in their own way. And then on Sunday they come to church to worship. But they usually aren’t in the right frame of mind to worship. It is hard to worship a God you hardly know./ A second problem is that people think of worship as a time when God will help them to feel better about themselves, take away their sins, and give them their wants, needs, and desires.

But worship is much different than this. It is like the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is a fresh and pure body of water. If you open your eyes under water, you can see for quite a distance. It is filled with much life. Fresh water flows into it from the Jordan river, and then the water flows out.

But the Dead Sea is different. The Jordan river flows into it as well, but there is no outlet for the water to flow on. Consequently, it is filled with minerals. If it touches your eyes it will burn them. There is a terrible smell to the water, and if you lie in it, the water is so thick that you will float on top of it.

Here you have a contrast between one body of water that receives and gives away, and is alive, while the other only takes, but doesn’t give away and is dead.

When we come to worship, we must come to continue to receive what we have been receiving all week long, and with the desire to give away what we receive.

What is God looking for? He is looking for those who want to be focused on Him and who want to give Him praise, and glory, and thanks, for who He is and what He means to them./ If you want to be a person who can have meaningful worship, then you need to prepare yourself for this worship time.

First, come rested and refreshed. It is difficult to worship when you are tired. I rarely plan activities for Saturday night because I want to be prepared to worship on Sunday. If I do plan something, I make sure I get home fairly early so I can get to bed at a reasonable time. Second, get to worship a little early. If you are rushing to get to church and are running in late, then you will have trouble being in a place of quiet to receive from God. Third, come with joyful expectation. If you are anxious or worried about something, give it to God before the service starts. Rejoice in knowing that God will take your burden from you. And fourth, be prepared to worship with your whole heart. This means be ready to get involved. Worship is not a spectator sport where you watch others perform or entertain. Worship is where you participate. Sing the songs, even if you don’t know them, and try to focus on the words you are singing. When the scripture is being read, read along. When the sermon is preached, follow the outline and maybe even make notes so that you can look it over during the week for an extra pick-me-up.

Worship is about giving ourselves to God. Worship is about being refreshed by God. Worship is about experiencing God’s presence. Worship is about growing closer to God. Worship is about being filled with God. And then as we leave worship, we need to be ready to give away what we have received!

II. From Snacking to Feasting- (Ephesians 3:12, 6:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17;

Hebrews 10:19-22, 4:12-13; Psalm 119:103, 105)

a. Invitation to a feast- In the movie Hook, an updated version of Peter

Pan, there is a scene in which the lost boys are sitting down at a table with Peter to eat a feast. Peter has now grown up, and has forgotten what it is like to be a boy. He looks at the table, but doesn’t see any food. This table is a special table, and the food is only real if you believe. So the lost boys start to eat, and Peter sits and watches them, thinking they are pretending to eat. Everyone is having a great meal except Peter! This feast is before him, but he can’t enjoy it because he doesn’t believe.

This is all too true for many people today. The Bible has never been more accessible than it is today. Most people own more than one copy of the Bible. But people today are biblically illiterate more than at almost any other time in our history. The banquet table is set, in that the feast, the Bible, is there before us. But so few are taking the opportunity to feast on God’s word.

Our generation is facing a famine of God’s word. Even though the Bible has been translated into English, and even though we have so many types of bibles that make it easier to read, there are fewer and fewer people taking the time to read.

The invitation is here for us. In Ephesians 3:12 we are told- “In Him (Christ) and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” And the writer of Hebrews, 10:19-22, we are told- “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus….let us draw near to god with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith….” Again and again the Bible teaches that God desires for us to grow into a intimate relationship with Him. One of the best ways to do this is to read the Bible.

Maybe you are like a man named Brian, who once said: “I can’t read the Bible, it is way over my head and it has nothing to do with my life.” So his pastor gave him a suggestion to read the book of Proverbs. Brian decided to take the challenge, and then after a couple weeks met with his pastor. He then shared with his pastor that he felt like a fool. “Why is that?” his pastor asked. He responded, “Because, most of what Proverbs says about fools applies to me and those I hang out with.”

At this point pass out the tortillas. Take one and eat it if you want.

This is just a snack. Next week we will have a luncheon. But this is

a reminder that there is a difference between a snack and a lunch.

b. A lamp that lights our way- To let you know that the Bible is

practical, and real, and helpful, I want to show you how it lights our way to guide us along life’s path. 1. The Bible illuminates. Psalm 119:105 says- “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” It is amazing if you read the Bible regularly, how you find that what you read provides for you the insight, wisdom, or encouragement you need for that day. 2. The Bible is sweet. Psalm 119:103 tells us- “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” When we read the Bible, we taste of the sweetness of God’s love, grace, peace, and forgiveness. 3. The Bible equips. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 informs us- “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that all of God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible helps to teach us how to live this life God has given us. Not reading the Bible is like trying to put something difficult together without using the manual.

4. The Bible cuts to heal. In Hebrews 4:12-13 we are told- “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit…Everything is laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” A surgeon’s scalpel is very sharp, so that it can make the cuts clean and deep. So the Bible sometimes cuts sharp and deep to uncover the actions, attitudes, and evil motives of our hearts. It can be painful, but it is necessary and helpful.

5. The Bible is a weapon for spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:17 says- “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” God has not left us unarmed. The Bible is our weapon when we are attacked. But to be able to use this weapon, we have to read it, know it, and live it.

III. From Monologue to Dialogue-

a. Hearing God’s voice- I briefly talked last week about how prayer is

listening to God and talking to God. I said that the listening part is a more mature spiritual concept, because God is not physically present to speak to us. Although some people have said that they have heard an audible voice of God speak to them, the majority of us have not, and probably will not. So it is important that we learn how to hear God’s voice, because if we don’t, then we will never be able to be in a dialogue with God.

Now think with me for a moment, about a special relationship that you have. It could be with your spouse, or your child, or even a close friend. Now think about how if every time you spoke with them, YOU did ALL the talking. What kind of relationship would you have if you were the only one to speak? Not very good.

AND YET, this is the kind of relationship most people have with God. Whenever they seek God out, THEY do all the talking. Now part of this is because people don’t know how to listen to God, and part is because people don’t necessarily believe that God still speaks to us now. They believe that God spoke to people in the Bible, but not anymore.

God speaks to us in basically 5 ways: 1. The Bible. As we just talked about, God can speak very well to us through the Bible. 2. Other people. Through the words, lives, and examples of others, God will give us some guidance, a challenge, or a conviction. 3. Circumstances. Sometimes in our lives a door opens or a door closes leading us to the next place God wants us to go. 4. A still, small voice. God can speak to us through a voice in our thoughts. With practice, this voice can become as clear as someone speaking out loud to you. 5. Dreams and visions. God has given us dreams for a purpose. One of those purposes is for God to speak to us.

One note: In all of these ways, make sure that they go along with what the Bible would say for us to do.

b. Aspects of speaking our prayers- On the other side of the coin is

speaking to God. But this is even more complex than you might imagine. It is to be more than just asking God to do things for us. It actually should start by speaking to God the things we adore about Him. Speaking about how we love Him and why we love Him. Then we move to confession; admitting where we have fallen short, and expressing our desire to do better. Next we make known to God how we desire to do His will for our lives and not our will (which is called submission). We acknowledge here that God, our creator, knows more about what our life should be than we do. Next is supplication, or making our requests known to God. We see here that our requests to God is only a small part of prayer. And last we ask for God’s protection; “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Prayer is a gift; a gift for communication; a gift for building relationship; a gift to connect deeply with our God. This kind of prayer actually teaches us how to dialogue with God, and not just talk at God.

Conclusion: What I have talked about this morning is about expansion. If we make these shifts in our lives…….focusing on God instead of ourselves; feasting on the
Bible; and dialoguing with God……..then we will expand on impact on the world, we will live our lives much more wisely, and we will be able to have a real relationship with God!! If we implement these three shifts, we will expand our faith, and we will have a much more positive outlook on life. Amen.