::The Wilderness:: February 18, 2009

Please read all of this because its amazing. :) I have written down part of a sermon by Paul Matthies at The Village Church (the church I attend, you can get the sermons through iTunes podcast: The Village Church sermons. I highly recommend it! :)). This sermon is the third part of his “Only the Lonely” series (amazing!). He is talking about loneliness, how to deal with it, the roots of loneliness, and how to respond to God through it. Please read it a few times even and please pray about it and examine your heart. Let God change you and love you into a better you. Let God tell You who He is and draw you into a closer relationship with Him. :) ~Mandy

“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.

God intends to give us what we need, not what we think we want. Once more we are embarrassed by the intolerable compliment of too much love, not too little.” ~C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain

“Do you understand that God is worthy of worship regardless of how we feel and regardless of the circumstances we’re in? We have to learn to put a period where God puts a period. And He says “I am worthy of worship” period. Worship is not just a response to what God does for us, it’s a response to who He is! Do we realize, church, that if God never did another good thing for us, He would STILL be worthy of worship? God as His very nature of being God is Self-existent and Self-glorious and His very nature mandates worship because He is God and we are not. He is glorious! He is the Creator and we are the created thing and we must ascribe to Him the glory due His Name. Because He is worthy of worship regardless of the gifts He gives us, even if He’s seeking to hide His face.

Later in the sermon:

“And here we must understand that just because God is hiding His face from His children does not mean that God has quite working. If anything He is working in us that which is most pleasing to Him: Faith! And so when God is hiding His face from us it goes something like this, [He says]: “Seek Me. I’m going to hide my face from you, but right now I’m doing the most important work in you that I could ever do. I’m going to teach you what it means to diligently seek Me period. And I’m going to give you a heart of worship that says I am worthy of worship period. Not for the things I do but for who I am. So are you going to turn to the world? Are you going to turn away? Or are you going to keep pressing in? Because right now if you trust me I’m doing the most important thing in you that I could do. I’m working in you the thing that pleases me. And what pleases me is faith that leads to worship.” So God is not turned away from us though He hides His face. He’s doing the most important thing He could do in us. He’s giving us the level of faith and type of worship that makes Him smile! What does this have to do with loneliness you may be wondering? What it has to do with loneliness is that sometimes its not the will of God for you to run from your loneliness. Sometimes its not the will of God for you to fill it up with the world or with other people. Sometimes the will of God for your life is to walk in it. Don’t run from it, walk in it. Why? Because seeing it as something given by God we then can understand that in that moment even though we may not feel it, He is working IN us FAITH!

Its not going to always feel good to assume an attitude of worship. Because the thing about dying to self is that sometimes it feels like death.

Worship is not my way of controlling God and changing Him. Worship is my means by which I submit to God’s control and He changes me!”

~Paul Matthies in the 3rd part of his Only The Lonely series at The Village Church

“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.

God intends to give us what we need, not what we think we want. Once more we are embarrassed by the intolerable compliment of too much love, not too little.” ~C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain

“For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and He is to be held in awe above all gods.
For all the gods of the people are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
Strength and joy are in his place.

Ascribe to the LORD, O clans of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
Bring an offering and come before him!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness,
Tremble before him, all the earth;
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
Let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
Before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
For his steadfast love endures forever!”

~1 Chronicles 16: 25-34