"The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God."(Psalm 14:2)

Introduction: The series of messages we are sharing on these August Sundays are designed to prepare us for a time of spiritual renewal. We are focusing on the idea of seeking God. Last week we said that seeking God was defined as my giving the absolute attention of my life both inwardly and outwardly to a unique awareness of the presence of God. We also discovered that the aspects of my inner life-my heart and my soul, the place of drive, desire and determination are the tools to be used in seeking God. We determined as well that seeking God is done with a radical passion for prayer, a radical commitment to eliminate distractions and a radical look at my own sinfulness.

When we speak of seeking God I would be easy for us to assume that God is difficult to contact or to find if we must seek Him. "God is like a person who clears his throat while hiding and so gives himself away," said Meister Eckhart. Perhaps God also feels pleasure in being found? What we forget is that God has spent all of what we know as time not hiding Himself but revealing Himself. The Bible tells us that from creation God has been exposing and revealing Himself and that the ultimate revelation was in the person of Jesus Christ. Why did and does He do this? Because if He did not we would not know Him at all. Literally all the universe and all around us are God’s ways of saying , "Here I am! Now seek me!"

Jean Fleming compares God’s longing to a game of Hide and Seek, "Years ago, when my friend Louise would visit, my husband would sometimes entertain her three-year-old son, Kerry. Roger explained the game Hide and Seek to Kerry. But as soon as Roger called, ‘Here I come,’ Kerry would jump out from behind the couch. ‘Here I am!’ Kerry would shout as he leaped into view, his arms flung exuberantly overhead. At first Roger tried to explain to Kerry that he must stay hidden until found. But finally, and wisely, Roger concluded that Kerry had grasped the true objective of the game. The joy is not in hiding but in finding and in being found. God says, "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ ‘…(Isaiah 65:1). I see the Lord standing there, like Kerry, with outstretched arms: "Here I am. There is joy in finding me and my joy is in being found." As far as I can tell, everywhere, God is jumping out from behind couches in self-revelation." ("A God Who Wants to be Found", Jean Fleming, Discipleship Journal, July/August 1995)

God longs to be found if you and I are willing to join the game. He wants us to seek Him. Today I want us to see two more aspects of seeking the Lord: First will be the motivation for seeking the Lord and, secondly, the personal benefits that are ours because we seek the Lord.

I. First, if God s so eager to be found then when should I seek Him? In other words on what occasions should my attention be given to God more sincerely? Why and when are we to seek the Lord? There is never a time in our life when our awareness of God should not be at its best. However there are occasions in life when that awareness should be greater or more intense. Let me give you some suggestions:

We are to seek the Lord at a time before it is too late (II Chron. 34:3): 2 Chron. 34:3 indicates that King Josiah gave his attention to God deliberately while he was a teenager. It says, "For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim (pagan idols), the carved images, and the molten images. We know that Josiah was 8 years old when he became king and this indicates that at 16 he began to seek the Lord. Then four years later at age 20 he began to act upon his relationship with the Lord. Because he began to seek the Lord as a youth, he was capable of ruling the nation.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says in chapter 12:1, "Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living." Why should we encourage children and teens to begin their fellowship with the Lord now? Because it becomes harder as a person grows older. Recent statistics form Barna Research show that after a youth leaves their late teens and early twenties the less likely they are to be committed to Christ. It becomes harder and harder to reach them. That is why the very best resources we have are being applied to our birth through University age levels. Yet it is also the reason that you as children and youth should take your commitment to Christ seriously and the salvation of you friends seriously because there can come a time that it is too late! So before your heart loses its longing for spiritual things then now give him your attention, "Seek the Lord"!

We are to seek the Lord when life demands the most from me (II Chron. 28:9): In 1 Chron. 28:9

David passes the leadership of the kingdom over to his son Solomon he says, "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." Solomon is being charged by David to prepare his inner life for the responsibility of leading Judah. For the most part, as long as he sought the Lord there was blessing. The responsibilities were going to be overwhelming and in order for Solomon to withstand the pressures he had to have the inner spiritual strength to survive.

Where is life demanding the most from you? What are your responsibilities? Maybe I should say, "Who are your responsibilities?" Parents have the responsibility of rearing children. Teachers have the responsibility of teaching children. Those of you in college, high school and junior high have the challenges of class and career choices. As an employer or employee, as a mate, as a person caring for your family– the responsibility of caring for someone you love. The list is endless! We are fools to fail to understand that when life demands the most form us that God is the one should seek the greatest.

We are to seek the Lord when our circumstances are critical (II Chron. 20:3-4): 2 Chron. 20:3-4 recalls an occasion when the Judean king Jehoshaphat was being threatened by two very large armies. The threat of those forces was enough to panic not just the king but the people as well. The Bible says, "And Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord. Faced with fear and imminent destruction, Jehoshaphat sought the Lord. God honored his seeking Him in a dramatic way. It was one of those times as the Psalmist says, "The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is false hope for victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength" (Psalm 33:16-17).

What are you going to do when your circumstances are the most critical? We can worry, get angry, give up, try substitutes, plan, buy, sell, move, leave… our choices are unlimited. But the Christian really has only one: we are to seek the Lord! This king would pray, "O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." (2 Chron. 20:12) You see in seeking Him do we realize that the ultimate solution does not lie with us! When you don’t know what to do-seek God!

We are to seek the Lord whenever we come to worship (II Chron. 30:19): An example of what I mean is found in 2 Chron. 30:19. There King Hezekiah has called for a celebration of the Passover that had not been observed for decades. This time was the most holy time for the nation of Israel then and today. Some of the people were not ritually pure yet they participated regardless. Hezekiah doesn’t want his to be a hindrance to God’s blessing so he asks for Gods pardon saying, "everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary." Hezekiah says simply, "Lord, look at their heart not at their skin." That is exactly what the Pharisees forgot. They assumed ritual, outward purity, would cover their sin of the heart. Jesus would have none of it. He said to the Pharisees, "You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:28)

The Lord has little interest in your family name, your labels on your clothes, the cut of your hair, or the education you may have attained or the square footage of you may have in your home. "The Lord looks upon the heart." Is your heart seeking Him as you worship this morning? Forget what you don’t know, what you fear others think of you. Is your heart prepared to seek the Lord? Whenever we enter this place we do not gather to observe but to be observed by God himself. If so then what does he see in your heart?

We are to seek the Lord when our times cry out for it (Hosea 10:12): The prophet Hosea reminds the nation of Israel because of the condition of the nation spiritually, morally and ethically that it was time for them to "Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you." (Hosea 10:12) Hosea is warning God’s people that unless there is repentance they will be judged. So nationally they were to seek the Lord. Their times cried out for them to give their attention more deliberately to draw near to God.

I recently saw a bound volume of the Sunday bulletins of this church from February to December of 1942. It was moving to read the appeals of then pastor O.L. Powers to the congregation for God’s guidance, protection and provision during the early days of WWII. It was a time when the times of the nation cried out for people to seek God. That is why we are having these series of messages as well as this time of spiritual focus on renewal: our times cry out for us to seek the Lord! The times of our church, our community, our culture and our country- all cry out for God’s people to ask for God’s blessing and attention in unique ways. What is wrong with calling God’s people to seek Him when it is obvious we don’t have the answer?

We are to seek the Lord when God’s voice gets our attention (Daniel 9:3): Daniel 9:3 said, "So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes." You recall that Daniel had been searching the Scripture to discover the time for the Jews to return to their homeland. It occurred while reading Jeremiah. His response was to seek the Lord desperately! In other words God’s voice got his attention! His response was to turn his attention more clearly to respond to what God is saying.

What is your response to the voice of God? Your response to that question may be that you may not understand how God does speak to us. God is still speaking to his people. He speaks to us through the Bible, prayer, the church and our circumstances. I believe he speaks most often and most deliberately through the Bible. When you read the Word, hear the Word there is just that constant something that won’t let you go. God speaks to me by speaking in me. His "voice" is that something that is always there no matter what you do there seems to be no release from it. That voice isn’t something audible but you know where it is coming from. When that voice is speaking that is when we are to seek the Lord!

We are to seek the Lord wherever we serve the Lord (II Chron. 31:21): Again remembering the leadership of Hezekiah the Bible says in 2 Chron. 31:21, "And every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered." The Lord had Hezekiah’s attention in everything he did! This man wasn’t a priest or religious leader he was a civil ruler who sought to influence those under him spiritually by first seeking God in all that he did.

I have said before that we too often separate our spiritual life from our work or secular life. We should be convinced that the board room, classroom, office cubicle, shop, field or wherever it is you work or live outside of this place called church-that place is to be the focus of your need to seek God! What about you? What statement characterizes your overall character? Is it one of seeking the Lord? There will never come a time for the Christian that we can relax and say, "I’ll do this on my own." Every work must be done seeking the Lord!

Why and when are we to seek the Lord? Answer: There will never be a time when we can afford not to! That is our motive.

That last verse said that as Hezekiah sought the Lord with all his heart he prospered. That tells us that there are benefits that come to us as we give the absolute attention of our life to a unique awareness of god’s presence. There is a relationship, a cause and effect bond between our giving God our wholehearted attention.

There’s a relationship between my seeking God and my effectiveness for God (2 Chron. 31:21):

"And every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered." Doesn’t it make sense that if I am desiring to do all that God wants with all my heart then as a result I will be doing those things that please Him. If I am doing those things that please him then those are going to be the things that are going to be most effective.

There’s a relationship between my seeking God and my confidence in God (Psalm 34:4): "I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." This says to us that if God has my full attention then when I look at those things that threaten me then I will see them through His eyes or His perspective. If I see them with His perspective then I know that He is in control and if He is in control then I do not need to fear but be confident!

There’s a relationship between my seeking God and my trust in God (Psalm 34:10): "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing!" The NLT translates the last clause, "those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good thing." If I am seeking God then I will trust that what I need, He will supply. Why? Because as before when I seek Him I see life from His perspective but I also see His provision and priorities. I understand that what I need, really need He is capable of providing! I don’t need to worry but trust!

There’s a relationship between my seeking God and my understanding of God’s ways (Prov. 28:5): "Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all things." I realize this is an exaggeration because we know that God will not explain everything to us until we get to heaven. Yet when my attention is clearly directed toward God there are things that a person who has no desire to seek God can’t see that you will!

There’s a relationship between my seeking God and my knowing God (Jeremiah 29:13): "And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart." You see we end where we started. God longs for us to know Him intimately. As I say those words I still cannot fathom what they mean. For you see it says that when you seek or search for me you find me. ME- not my blessing, my benefits, my salvation, my will, my plans but ME! It is knowing that ONE, intimately that gives my life it’s, well, life.

Conclusion: Psalm 14:2 tells us, "The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God." Did you hear those words, "he looks to see…"? God longs for those who seek Him.

Belden C. Lane remarks that he used to fret about how his children played hide-and-seek. His son would bellow out, "Ready!" when he had found a good hiding place, which of course instantly gave him away. Lane, the father, kept reviewing the point of the game—"You’re supposed to hide, not give your position away!"—until one day it dawned on him that from his son’s perspective he had missed the point of the game. The fun comes in being found, after all. Who wants to be left alone, undiscovered?

Lane’s daughter used another, more subtle technique. She would pretend to run and hide, then sneak back to her father’s side while he was still counting with his eyes shut tight. Though he could hear her excited breathing as she stood inches away from him, he never gave her away. Instead he would feign delight as he opened his eyes to announce, "Ready or not, here I come!" only to see his daughter touch home base before he even began the search. Lane reflects: " She was cheating, of course; and, though I don’t know why, I always let her get away with it. Was it because I longed so much for those few moments when we stood close together, pretending not to hear nor to be heard—caught up in a game that for an instant dissolved the distance between parent and child, that set us free to touch and seek and find each other? It was a simple, almost negligible act of grace, my not letting on that I knew she was there. Yet I suspect that in that one act I may have mirrored God for my child better than in any other way I could. Still to this day, it seems, God is for me a seven-year-old daughter, slipping back across the grass, holding her breath in check, wanting once to surprise me with a presence closer than I could ever have expected."

Phillip Yancey writes, "One year I left a New Year’s Eve party shortly before midnight to get a jump on traffic. We had driven for two hours to attend the party in Colorado Springs and hoped to make it a few miles out from town before tipsy revelers joined the traffic stream. Unknown to me at the time, some hardy mountaineers have a tradition every New Year’s Eve. They stuff backpacks full of fireworks and hike through the snow and dark to the summit of Pike’s Peak. As I was driving along, suddenly, at the stroke of midnight, red, blue, and yellow fireworks came shooting off the mountain. There was no sound because of the distance. The bits of light made of huge, gorgeous flowers that floated slowly and silently in the sky, illuminating behind them Pike’s Peak itself, a snowy monument that filled our line of vision and dwarfed everything else in sight. It had been there all along, the mountain, but we had no eyes to see it….If we miss God’s presence in the world, could it be that we have looked in the wrong places, or perhaps looked without seeing at the grace before our eyes?" (Reaching for the Invisible God p. 116-118 by Philip Yancey)

Sunday, August 12, 2001

Dr. Bruce Tippit, Pastor

First Baptist Church

Jonesboro, Arkansas

btippit@fbcjonesboro.org