NOVEMBER 10 2019

TEXT: ISAIAH 55:8, 9

TITLE: GOD, “DID I SAY THAT?”

INTRODUCTION

A. “Because I said so”

B. “God works in mysterious ways.”

WHEN A MAN CANNOT DANCE, HE WILL SAY THAT THE DRUM IS BAD
<p style="text-align: right;">African Proverb</p>
A. We blame God for what we do not understand

1. It is God’s fault

2. We do the same thing with prayer

B. We blame God when God does what we do not expect

C. We are, sometimes, lazy Christians. We want the blessings of being a Christian and not the burden of being a Christian

WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO KNOW AND DO, GOD WILL TELL ME

A. Mystery

1. Myeō = to initiate into the mysteries/introduce to things not known before

2. mystērion = the things of God revealed only to those who are initiated and not to others

B. A mystery is not an unknowable thing. Rather, it is an unrevealed thing

C. Mark 4:2, 2 Then He taught them many things by parables…

D. Mark 4:30, 30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?” [Jesus said, “How can I describe the

Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? (NLT)]

WHAT GOD SHOWS ME AND TELLS ME WILL NOT BE A MYSTERY

A. Mark 4:10, 11 “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of

God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables”

B. Mark 4:33, 34 when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

C. John 15:15 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

D. Romans 16:25, 26 …according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations…

E. 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe

IT IS SPIRITUAL

A. “My thoughts are not your thoughts” “Nor are your ways My ways.”

B. I will never understand it physically (the heavens are higher than the earth)

C. However, I Corinthians 2:16 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ