How God Wakes Us Up?
A Tim Keller Sermon Summary
Major conflicts or contradictions in life can lead us to search for God. In Exodus 3:1-14, Moses saw a bush on fire that didn’t burn up. That unexplainable event attracted Moses away from tending his flock and brought him to God.
A disrupting event in our life can turn us away from our normal path. Some examples include the bishop’s reaction to Jean stealing his stuff in Les Miserables; being unable to graduate due to flunking a class we thought we knew well; and feeling deeply lost after getting what our hearts intensely desire.
When Moses walked over to the burning bush, God called to him, “Moses! Moses!” In the Bible, the doubling of a word implies emphasis, and doubling a proper name conveys emotional intensity. God wanted to be closer to Moses, yet His holiness forbad Him. From a distance, God told Moses He would rescue the Israelites through Moses (v8, 10).
Similarly, God wants to be closer to us, but His holiness forbids Him to be close to sinful humans. So, through Christ, God came down to save us.
Christianity has a lot of contradictions that are beyond our understanding. For example, many things in life seem to be predetermined, but we also have free will. Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount demand perfection, yet Christ is extremely merciful and loving. He sacrificed Himself on the cross, taking our place to be consumed by the wrath of God the Father.
It is difficult for us to understand how we, as sinners, could be filled with Christ’s righteousness, beauty, and glory, or how our God can be both full of love and truth, mercy and holiness.
God could be using contradictions to lead us to Him. Keep exploring, and God will reveal Himself to you.
Summary of a sermon by Tim Keller, titled, “The Search for God”
https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/the-search-for-god-6554/
A disrupting event in our life can turn us away from our normal path. Some examples include the bishop’s reaction to Jean stealing his stuff in Les Miserables; being unable to graduate due to flunking a class we thought we knew well; and feeling deeply lost after getting what our hearts intensely desire.
When Moses walked over to the burning bush, God called to him, “Moses! Moses!” In the Bible, the doubling of a word implies emphasis, and doubling a proper name conveys emotional intensity. God wanted to be closer to Moses, yet His holiness forbad Him. From a distance, God told Moses He would rescue the Israelites through Moses (v8, 10).
Similarly, God wants to be closer to us, but His holiness forbids Him to be close to sinful humans. So, through Christ, God came down to save us.
Christianity has a lot of contradictions that are beyond our understanding. For example, many things in life seem to be predetermined, but we also have free will. Christ’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount demand perfection, yet Christ is extremely merciful and loving. He sacrificed Himself on the cross, taking our place to be consumed by the wrath of God the Father.
It is difficult for us to understand how we, as sinners, could be filled with Christ’s righteousness, beauty, and glory, or how our God can be both full of love and truth, mercy and holiness.
God could be using contradictions to lead us to Him. Keep exploring, and God will reveal Himself to you.
Summary of a sermon by Tim Keller, titled, “The Search for God”
https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/the-search-for-god-6554/