The Great I AM is Where You Are

August 30, 1992 PM

Exodus 3: I AM THAT I AM

John 10: I AM the Door...

Everybody knows what God is like! That is— until they try to describe Him. Sometimes I think we are like the little kindergarten boy painting at his easel, with his frock made out of his father's shirt.

"What is that you are painting, Andrew?" "I'm painting God!" "But Andrew, no one knows what God looks like!" "They will when I get done with this picture!"

I. THE INEFFABLE GOD

  1. The fact is God is NOT 'LIKE.' He is INEFFABLE! God is NOT "like" anything! God IS! Not is LIKE, but IS! Do you see the difference?
  2. We may not have pictures of God, but God is a God who reveals Himself to faith:
    1. In ancient times God spoke through prophets and holy men of God:
    2. He revealed Himself to Moses as: I AM THAT I AM
    3. The great "Call to Worship" of the Old Testament is still valid:

      (Deuteronomy 6:4,5) "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

      Jesus re-emphasized this call to worship, and added, "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

    4. There is ONE God of heaven and of earth. One "God for all purposes": this was a revolutionary concept to ancient peoples. They had gods for everything. But then, you see, they constructed their gods; but the God of revelation was different— IS different, I should say.

      In a practical way, it is still revolutionary to say "There is ONE God of heaven and earth!"— for we have "one God" to take care of life's "ritual times" when we are "born" and "married" and when we "die." But all too often in between we serve the non-gods of the culture, the day, the age— and Christians are not distinguished from the rest of the non-believers!

      But remember, it is still true: GOD is ONE— God of heaven and earth. He is "not LIKE."

II. THE IMMINENT GOD

  1. This great, transcendent God has a face. [The INEFFABLE is also the IMMINENT.] While it is true that we will never "know" God in the sense of comprehending all that He is, it is possible to KNOW Him right here and now in the sense that He IS our Friend, and that He desires to BE our Friend.

    And so it is that this great God of heaven and earth has made Himself available to us.

    As the writer of Hebrews opens his epistle:

    "GOD, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power." (Hebrews 1:1-3)

    God has a face. That "face" is Jesus. As we come to know Jesus, we come to see God, and to know HIM, the I AM.

  2. This great God meets us at our point of need. WE are NOT the center of the Universe. GOD does NOT exist for us; WE exist for HIM. But at the very same time, God stoops to our weakness; God loves us; God reveals Himself to us as Father and Friend and Loved One.

    And so sometimes we say "God is 'like'" when we try to describe ways that God relates to us:

    1. Consider just ONE writer's attempt to show us the nearness of God in Jesus Christ: John (in His Gospel) records Jesus as saying:

      I am the Bread of Life I am the Door I am the Good Shepherd I am the Light of the World I am the Way the Truth and the Life I am the Resurrection and the Life I am the True Vine (and Ye are the Branches)

    2. Let me lift out just ONE of these "I AM" statements: "I am the DOOR!" A door way is (1) an entry and an exit; a door is (2) a source of security, a haven; a door is (3) access to the "beyond" ("By ME you shall (not only come IN and find LIFE, but you shall) go in and out, and find pasture.")

      Jesus Christ is the ACCESS to everything GOOD and everything WORTHWHILE in all of life! He is God-making-life-available!

III. WHERE CAN I FIND THIS GOD?

  1. You CAN'T find Him— He has to find YOU! But good news! He is always LOOKING for you! He is speaking if we will listen!
    1. The face of Jesus is reflected in the love of His people. I need to see it, and sometimes I see it in you. You need to see it, and sometimes you see it in me.
    2. It is important that if we know God, we need to give Him access to us so others who are seeking Him will not be disappoint ed!
  2. Our greatest privilege is to press into the knowledge of Jesus

Conclusion:

What is God like? God is a great Mystery! But God is also the gentle Jesus you have known since you were a Baby! God is Your dearest, closest Friend! God is NEAR— just NOW!

His promise is: "Draw near(er) to Me— I will draw near(er) to you! (James 4:8.)"

Prayer:

Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, O God; show Yourself to us in newer, fresher, stronger ways.

Whatever our needs may be just now, O God; help us to see that You are what we need most of all. And so, help us to come near to You so that You can come near to us.

In Jesus' name. Amen

Invitation - (Essence of the prayer) - Hymn 247 Only Trust Him