God Is Closer Than You Think

God Is Closer Than You Think Finding God in the midst of….LONELINESS (part 1) December 2-3, 2006

Central Thought: The choice to worship releases and explosion of revelation from heaven.

One of my favorite parts in the Jurassic Park movie is the moment when they are being chased by the TRex. They are driving away from the TRex in their gym and it seems like the dinosaur is going to catch them. They show that shot of the image in the rear- view mirror…objects in mirror are closer than they appear.

What a statement that is…objects in mirror as closer than they appear. You can see by this instrument, but not perfectly. If you judge the situation based on what you see here, you may have an accident. Objects are closer. So you might hit something, or drive off of something.

This would be a good label for life. Objects in your life are closer than you think. Your perspective is not perfect. Danger may be closer than you think? Blessing may be closer than you think? God may be closer than you think? If we rely solely on our natural senses, we may miss something important? Another way to say this is this, there is more to life than what you can see, touch, or feel right now.

One of my claims to fame is that I used to be an actor. Some of you don’t know this about me. Actually, I played a rather famous character that probably every one of you will recognize when I mention his name. You see, during the summers, in between my freshman and sophomore years…I was CHUCK E CHEESE. At the Monroeville store only…and at some large city-wide Kids fest events. I would put on the hairy sweaty costume and become the RAT.

That was an amazing experience…pretending to be someone else, incognito. I could do things that I wouldn’t ordinarily get away with. Take someone’s pizza. Rub a bald man’s head. Dance a silly dance in the middle of the room. Pop a bad little kid on the head with my rubber tail. No one would blame Chuck E for that right?

On the surface, if you just looked at face value—there was this big hairy animal that little kids identify as Chuck E Cheese. But older people know the secret. There is something beyond the hairy costume and the big head. There is a person inside there pretending to be Chuck E.

Not everything is as it seems at first glance. This is true about so much in life. There is more going on that you can initially see, touch, or feel. God is closer than you think.

The Bible talks about the fact that there is an invisible and spiritual dimension. We can’t see what is happening. It is invisible to us. But this dimension is nonetheless real. This is where matters of faith comes in. Faith connects us with this invisible spiritual reality.

1 Can I give you another example from a popular movie. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (the third movie in the series)…and by the way, can you believe that there is actually a Rocky VI? Rocky is like what 75?

Anyway, back to Indiana Jones. He is standing at the edge of a great chasm. He has to get across to find the place where the Holy Grail is kept. But there is no bridge. They he realizes that the bridge is actually there but it is invisible. The only way to cross is to step out in faith, into the invisible, and trust that the bridge is really there. And as he steps out in faith—the bridge appears beneath his feet.

Objects in life are closer than you think. There is more going on than what you can naturally see, touch, or feel. God is closer than you think.

This is the series we will be in for the month of December. God is closer than you think…and you can find him in the midst of life’s challenges—when you choose to Worship.

Worship unlocks the perspective of the heavenlies. Worship connects us with the invisible and yet tangible reality of God’s presence. And as you learn to worship Him, you will find He is right there for you…especially when life is at its most difficult points.

Topics For Series: Finding God in the midst of…  Loneliness  Confusion  Discouragement  Trouble  Impossibility

Today, we are going to talk about finding God in the midst of loneliness. The text that we will use is Revelation 1:9-19

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his

2 mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

What a moment in John’s life. God opens his eyes to see the reality of the spiritual realm, the person of Jesus Christ. He gets a vision of things yet to come. If you have ever read the book of Revelation, you will understand that John gets a trip into the very throne room of heaven. Wow. Amazing stuff.

But before we get to all that good stuff, we need to remember what was happening in John’s life at that moment.

I love how John introduces himself. You know when someone introduces himself, often he lists his credentials. Missionary, Phd, accomplished leader or pastor. Here’s John’s credentials.

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus…

He could have said…John, who was Jesus’ best friend when he walked the earth. John, the writer of the famous gospel. John an apostle. John a disciple.

He says…John, a man who understands pain. I know what it is to endure and be patient in the midst of suffering. I speak to you out of a life that has been touched by persecution, rejection, and pain.

Then he gives us his specific location and situation.

…on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit,

Most scholars believe that John was writing at about AD 94, some 60 years after Christ’s ascension. He was banished to Patmos which is a very small, barren island in the middle of the Aegean sea. No trees, little vegetation. Rocky. Barren. Separated from family, friends, loved ones. Sent there to die.

He was most likely sentenced by the Emperor of Rome, Domitian to silence him without putting him to death. So here we find John all alone.

3 A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Paul Ai who is from Vietnam. He is a powerful leader that has planted churches around the world. Paul was in prison for his faith off and on for 10 years in that nation. He was Vietnamese and the leader of the AG churches over there.

He was actually looking at a piece of meat cooking on the grill and he said, ‘that piece of meat would have fed me for an entire week when I was in jail’. He told me about the first day he was taken from his family at night. They threw him into an underground, totally dark holding cell. It was cold. It was dark. He was all alone. They would bring him out at night and shine a light in his face and interrogate him. Then they would put him back in the cell for the rest of the day.

He said, the aloneness and purposeless-ness was the hardest thing to take. The thing they helped him feel alive was that he knew Morse code and would tap on the sewage pipe in his cell and speak to the other prisoners there. He led the other prisoners to Christ that way.

So John is banished on the island of patmos. He is old. At least in his 80’s. He probably had little to eat. He had been persecuted because he was doing the right things, serving Christ, serving the church. And he is taken from his home and banished, probably for the rest of his life to this barren island. Can you feel that?

Loneliness is one of the most painful situations in life. We are all impacted by it at some time in our life.

 A few weeks ago, I had an appointment with a woman who dealt with depression over a long period of time. She told me who she would come to church and sit in the seats…in the middle of a huge crowd, and yet feel all alone. There is a loneliness that comes from feeling like no one cares or understands.  Marie Cartlege was with us on Thanksgiving Eve. She lost her husband David to cancer a little over a year ago. She spoke of the loneliness that comes from losing someone you love. That feeling seems to get stronger during November and December.  I remember lonely moments in my life in college. Everyone else seemed to be out on a date on a Friday night. I was alone in my room with no one, listening to love songs…wishing and wanting to be in love. You can be single and feel all alone. You can be married and feel disconnected to your spouse and feel all alone.

I remember lying on my bed hugging my pillow and singing along with the radio

Livin' alone I think of all the friends I've known When I dial the telephone Nobody's home

4 All by myself Don't wanna be All by myself Anymore

Hard to be sure Sometimes I feel so insecure And loves so distant and obscure Remains the cure

All by myself Don't wanna be All by myself Anymore

Pretty depressing song! All by myself…don’t wanna be all by myself. But I am! Can you relate to that?

You know what I learned in moments like that? Don’t sing depressing songs! It makes it worse. Funny…but I am serious.

What you do when you feel all alone will make a big difference to your life. So what did John do? Banished on the isle of Patmos, away from friends and family…what did he do? v. 10-- On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit…

What a profound statement! It was the Lord’s day…Sunday. It was the time when the church was gathering for worship. Across the sea, there was laughing, and praying, and worshipping. There was the after service meal. The Sunday nap.

John is all alone. But instead of lying in his room and singing all by myself now. It says, that John took a posture that was intentional. He was ‘in the Spirit’. That refers to fellowshipping with and connecting with the Holy Spirit through worship.

How does this happen? Let’s flip back to Ephesians 5 and learn from the Apostle Paul. John may have had a copy of this letter of Paul’s.

Eph 5:15-20 5 Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 When you are down, under attack…don’t medicate your pain with wine. Don’t try to distract yourself with fleshly pleasures. Worship!

Speak out the Word…psalms and hymns. Sing out the truth…spiritual songs. Make music in your hearts. Declare what you believe…give thanks for everything.

So we worship by…  What we say  What we sing  What we believe

John was doing these kinds of things, all by himself, on the Lord’s day. And his choice to worship brought the very tangible presence of the Spirit of God. What a great decision that was. You can experience the presence of God in the midst of your pain when you choose to worship Him.

There were so many other things that John could have said.

 I was IN THE FLESH on the Lord’s day. Just lying around eating chips and doing whatever my appetites called for. There wouldn’t have been much spiritual result from that.  I was immersed in SELF-PITY on the Lord’s day. Just lying around moping, and feeling sorry for myself. Let’s be honest, sometimes we do that.  I was EMBITTERED on the Lord’s day. I was thinking about the people who hurt me and how I wish I could give them a piece of my mind on the Lord’s day.  I was DISCOURAGED on the Lord’s day. I had given up hope. I was just letting the feelings of depression overtake me.

John chose to be IN THE SPIRIT on the Lord’s day. He was worshipping. He was quoting the psalms…he was declaring the promises…he was singing the songs of the church…he was thanking God for all the good things in his life.

And while he was making the choice of worship in the midst of his aloneness—there was an EXPLOSION OF REVELATION in his life.

John’s experience was unique in many ways of course. As he is in worship, in the Spirit…  He hears the audible voice of God. John here then searches for the right comparison…how could I tell you what it sounded like. Like a trumpet blast, or like the waterfall at Niagara Falls.  He sees a vision of Jesus Christ in his glorified body. John knew Jesus. He walked with him for 3 years. They were best friends. But now Jesus is in his glorified body. Hair white like wool…eyes like burning fire…feet like purified bronze…  17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Rev 1:17

6  From there he receives messages from God, scenes from heaven, scenes from the end times. Heaven opened up its secrets to him.

Now John’s revelation was special. It was more pronounced in every way than anyone has ever had. But there are some expectations that we can have as well.

When we worship we too will have an explosion of revelation. By the word, revelation, I simply mean that God will help us to see things spiritually and understand things about Him, his purpose for us, and what He wants for us in our lives.

Revelation could be illustrated by what we call the ‘eureka-moment’. When the light bulb goes on over our head. All of the sudden we see or understand something that we didn’t understand before.

Let me explain this revelation in four ways:

1. God is closer than I think. I can enjoy his tangible presence right here, right now.

Remember, John was all alone. He could have felt forgotten, rejected. He could have despaired about his life. But as he worshipped, he was IN THE SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit made his presence more tangibly available in John’s life.

Isaiah 61:3 tells us one of the outcomes of being in relationship with Christ. He binds up the broken-hearted. He sets the captive free. He gives us a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

Sometimes loneliness and discouragement is so thick in your life that it is like a blanket. You just feel like it is going to smother you. There have been so many moments in my life that I have felt that heaviness of discouragement. I was talking with someone this past Wednesday. They came into the Worship Gathering. They felt so heavy inside. They didn’t want to be there. And as they chose to worship, by the end of the night— there was a lifting of that blanket of despair and a feeling lightness and peace.

WORD: Sunday morning as I was waking up, I thought I heard a word from God. It was for those suffering from depression. I heard him say," Remove that blanket of depression, step out of your darkness into my light and see how I will heal you". This has never happened to me before, so for verification I went immediately to my Bible, opened it up and it fell exactly to Psalm 91. Instead of starting from verse 1 , my eyes zoomed in to verse 4, "He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge, his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart'.

2. Jesus is more amazing than I think. I can rest in His capacity to care for me.

A second revelation happens when we choose to worship. God makes Himself known in world.

7 Why is this necessary? We live with a constant focus on the current situation and the problems that are occurring. There is a tendency to magnify our problems and minimize our God. We don’t do it on purpose. It just happens.

The people of Israel are prime examples of this. They watched God send 10 plagues on Egypt, and then part the Red Sea on their behalf. People often say, what I need is a ‘Red Sea’ miracle…then I would never doubt again.

After the Red Sea miracle, they were dancing and celebrating. Wow. God is amazing. He is on our side. Then within a matter of verses in Exodus 15, there is a water crisis. There is no clean water to drink. The Bible says…the people grumbled. They went from praise to pouting in about 3 verses.

We say, how can that be? But that is just human nature. The problems of life are very visible and very pressing. We tend to magnify them.

Worship makes the shifts. It magnifies God. Not that it makes God bigger. It just opens our vision to who He is. Even when we praise him, we still can’t even begin to understand how magnificent He is.

Consider what John saw. Revelation 4:1-8 4:1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

After this encounter, everything happening on the isle of Patmos seemed a little smaller and a little more manageable. God is on His throne. He is beyond description.

8 Jacob has an experience like this. He is all alone and running for his life. He has just stolen his brother Esau’s birthright and blessing. He is a fugitive in the middle of the wilderness. He lays down to sleep.

In a dream, he sees a ladder going up to heaven. Angels are ascending and descending on it. God speaks to Jacob. I am the God of your fathers. I have made a promise to them, and I will fulfill it through your life. You will be safe. I will bring you back to this place. I will bless your family and your descendents will become like the dust.

Gen 28:16-19 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."

18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

3. God is up to more than I think. I can trust His good purposes in my life.

Not only was God magnified in Jacob’s eyes…He also had God’s promises re-affirmed to him. We get into the place of worship, and all of the sudden our spiritual ears get unclogged. We start to hear God’s voices, his promptings.

Worship takes an ordinary place…just a stone for a pillow, in the middle of the wilderness…and makes it the house of God. Bethel means God’s house…where God lives.

God is up to something even in your wilderness moments. Angels are descending from heaven to aid you. They are ascending to heaven carrying your prayers. It’s invisible to you but it is going on all the time.

Worship opens your eyes to heaven’s activity. You begin to sense that God has not forgotten you. He is at work on your behalf. He has a plan for you. You can trust Him.

4. My life is more significant than I think. I have great value to the Kingdom.

Jacob got up from that place of worship and he continue his journey with a greater assurance that God had a plan for his life.

John got up from that moment of worship and realized…I may be old, I may be banished…but God still plans to use me in this life.

We get up from worship being refreshed, restored, and feeling a sense of destiny and purpose.

9 So what about you? What will describe you on the Lord’s day?

 I was IN MY RELIGIOUS ROUTINE on the Lord’s day. Just doing what I always do…fulfilling my religious duty.  I was IN THE FLESH?  I was IMMERSED IN SELF-PITY?  I was EMBITTERED?  I was DISCOURAGED?  I was IN THE SPIRIT…BECAUSE I CHOSE TO WORSHIP.

The first step in this process is a declaration of faith in Jesus. Jesus invites us into relationship. Rev 3:20…Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens that door…I will come in and connect with them and they with me.

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Have you committed your life to follow Him? When you do, he promise to forgive your sin, restore you to God, fill you with his life. Have you entered relationship with Him?

Are you ready to worship? A few weeks ago, we had a great breakthrough during the altar time. Jon Boseman was here, and he called us forward to seek Him. The altars were packed. I realized at that point, we have been praying for the breakthrough of God’s miracles to happen. But then we often are guilty of sitting back and waiting for it to just occur.

When we all decide to act. We all choose to worship. We all lift our voice. We all express our hunger for God. There is an anointing released as we pursue Him. I am convinced that God is ready to do amazing things among us right now. Today is the day. God is going to do things right now. We just have to pursue him.