"God Came Himself"

(based on the devotions of Selwyn Hughes: “Every Day Light”)

1 John 4:7-16

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Introduction: Last week we started a 3-week series on the Incarnation of Christ. We talked about how unique Christianity is because it is the only religion that teaches that God took on flesh and dwelt among us. While God spoke to His people through prophets in the Old Testament, He decided that it was important for Him to come to this earth and speak the message in person.

Even more, God came to this earth, in Jesus Christ, to humble Himself by allowing Himself to be crucified for our sins! This whole idea of God taking flesh, and dying for our sins is what makes Christianity different from any other religion. While to the Greeks of the New Testament time it was nothing short of blasphemy to expect God to involve Himself in the affairs of the world, the gospel is about this amazing truth that the Son of God became the Son of Man so that humanity could become children of God.

This morning we continue in the whole teaching of the incarnation by talking a little more about God coming Himself.

I. Attempting to Find God- (Acts 17:16-34; Luke 11:39, 46; Luke 18:11, Galatians 3:19, 21)

Dr. E. Stanley Jones once said: “There have been two great attempts to find God throughout the ages; one is philosophy, the other, moralism.”

a. Philosophy- So let’s look at philosophy first. Philosophy is the

study of the general and fundamental problems of our world, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, and so on. The attempts of philosophy are represented by the three great philosophical nations—Greece, India, and China. These three nations have taken men and women about as far as it is possible to go by philosophical reasoning. Philosophy has tried to find God, but has been unable to locate God successfully! The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu summed it up when he said that the final word about God is silence.

Philosophy has sought after God but has not found God because they are searching in the wrong places. In essence they have made philosophy a religion. Remember last week how I said that religion is ‘man’s seeking after God’? God has actually sought after us in Jesus Christ, but if people don’t open their eyes they will miss it.

In the New Testament, the book of Acts, chapter 17, we see an example of this. Let me read for you Acts 17:16-33, “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) ²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. ²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us…³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” ³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed…”

Those who could get past their religion of philosophy and see Jesus Christ and His resurrection believed and followed! Their own philosophy only confused them, but Paul’s words of truth help them to see the truth.

b. Moralism- Second we have moralism. Moralism is the attempt to

find God through the law. We see this noble effort made by the Jews themselves after they received the ‘law of God’, the 10 commandments, from Moses. They devised such a system to try and find God through living according to the law. What this did was ultimately lead to people like the Pharisees, the religious leaders, who seemed good on the outside, but on the inside they were corrupt. Jesus even called the Pharisees on this when He said to them in Luke 11:39, “…‘Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.’” Then later in the chapter Jesus says in Luke 11:46, “…‘And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.’”

You see here that rather than lead the people to God, moralism leads people to guilt. Even more, it leads people to think they have to do it on their own instead of seeking God for strength, guidance, and righteousness. The apostle Paul helps us to understand the purpose of the law in Galatians 3:19, “Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions…” Because of the wrong we do, because of our sin, God needed to give us the law to help us understand the right we are to seek to do. But the law cannot save us. The law cannot lead us to God. As Paul continues in Galatians 3:21, “…For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.” Being right with God comes through faith in Christ, not by the law!

We see that trying to live up to the law actually causes pride. Jesus pronounced doom on the Pharisees’s attempt to find God through moralism when the Pharisee said in Luke 18:11, “God, thank you that I am not like other men (who sin)…” Those who sought God through moralism could not reach the kingdom by even their greatest self-effort. We see that both philosophy and moralism fall far short!

II. The Chief Distinctives of Christianity- (1 John 4:7-16)

a. Seminaries- The Incarnation is one of the chief distinctives of the

Christ faith. Yet, there are some in the church who cast doubt on this and other aspects of Christianity. We see today that Christianity is not only being attacked from the outside, but from the inside as well.

One source is theological seminaries. Many seminaries have become more and more liberal. They cast doubt on the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, and even the resurrection. In fact, there has been a whole movement, called ‘The Jesus Seminar’ that questioned the miracles Jesus did. This movement was launched in 1985, and was organized to discover and report as they call ‘a scholarly consensus’ on the historical authenticity of the sayings and events of Jesus. The result was that they concluded Jesus didn’t actually say much of what is attributed to him, and that he didn’t rise from the dead.

Here we see the casting of doubt.

A theological student was heard saying of his education: “If I were to accept what I am being taught, then I would leave college with the idea that the Christian faith has slightly higher moral teaching than other religions, is a little more consistent in its view of God and man, and is a little better in general, but not unique.” Is it any wonder that so many graduate from seminaries confused about what to believe and teach? If they are stripped of the gospel, the good news, then what is there?

This is why I have chosen to preach 3 weeks on the Incarnation, so that we can get past all the doubts that are cast by our world. Seminaries, churches, denominations are teaching untruths, and are therefore causing great problems in the Kingdom of God. We need to get back to the truth of God’s word!! We need to make sure that we know what the Bible says, not what others say it says. We need to understand that this liberal movement is seeking to make us more universalistic, instead of followers of Jesus.

b. What other religions don’t have- Selwyn Hughes, the founder of

The Crusade for World Revival was once asked by an interviewer: “What do you have that other religions don’t have?” To which he responded: “I have Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh.” Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh. It isn’t until we really understand this concept, that we can hope to make it a reality in our lives, churches, and world. It is the idea that God decided that He needed to send more than representatives who spoke on His behalf. The Incarnation is God choosing to come Himself!!

Illustration- “The Living Bible,” There is a true story of a college student named Bill. Bill has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus where Bill goes to college is a very conservative church. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill keeps walking and gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. The tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. The deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit.. A godly man, very dignified. Everyone thinks he is going to ask the boy to find a seat or leave. All eyes are focused on him. The minister has stopped preaching. What happens next is beyond words… This elderly Deacon drops his cane on the floor… and sits down next to Bill!! At this, everyone chokes up with emotion. The minister gains control and finishes his sermon. But what the people saw in church that day was never forgotten!

Why is that story so powerful? The pastor could have told Bill it was fine to sit there, and that would have maybe calmed the church some. But there would have been many still bothered by this young man sitting on the floor in the front of the church. This still would have made some people uncomfortable, since it wasn’t a normal thing to do. But by having the elderly Deacon sit on the floor with him, it made it acceptable to all. Even more, I would imagine it made quite an impact on Bill. By this action Bill knew that this man cared for him and loved him in Jesus. By this action the Deacon was showing God’s love.

In 1 John 4:9 we are told, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” Jesus Christ came to live among us. He CAME HIMSELF into the world so that we might have a better understanding of how to live this life on earth, and how to have life eternal in heaven. HE CAME HIMSELF so that we would know for sure what is the truth. We don’t have to be bothered about all the things that cause us doubt, because we have THE WORD become flesh; we have God Himself making everything clear.

Conclusion: I have heard many stories of college kids taking a philosophy class, and the lessons that are taught to them in the class causing them to doubt their faith, or even leave their faith. Why? Because in many ways philosophy is thought to be a religion or set of beliefs that help you live your life. Yet, because it is in contrast to Christianity in many ways, it creates so much doubt in Christians.

I have also seen many people destroyed by the moralism of the church causing them to be filled with guilt. When the church teaches that you have to ‘live by the law’ or God won’t love you, then people become crippled because their faith is caught up in their works.

While it is important to live the life God calls us to live, we can only do this through faith. Our faith leads us to want to behave as God calls us to behave; to love as God calls us to love; to share as God calls us to share. And when we fail, and we will fail, God is there, through Christ, to forgive us, pick us up, and put us back on the path.

If someone asks you, ‘What do you have that others don’t,’ I hope your answer is: ‘I have Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh!’ Amen.