1.  Two categories of people, those who are happy with God, and those who are not and want to change Him.

    Like that he is merciful and loving, don’t like that he punishes sin and especially don’t like that things happen that are not nice!

    We tell God that every time we complain or ask why? Or how?  When we don’t trust what God is doing or allowing in our lives.

    They would love to create the perfect God, just change this or that about Him.

- See it every day on Oprah.  Create a God in their own image.  If they find what God says on sexuality offensive, they change it.  “surely God couldn’t be like that!”

Law

1.  To what extent is the law relevant to us today?
    a.  shows us God’s righteousness
    b.  shows what Christ fulfilled
    c.  a backdrop to tell us if we are truly walking in the spirit. Sets a standard for us.

- Nothing wrong with the law, the problem is with us.
- Only Jesus fulfilled the law.  Both in living it out perfectly, and in satisfying it, fulfilling it as it was pointing to a coming Messiah. “the law and prophets”.   Means bringing about the event to which the law and the prophets pointed.  
- We can only fulfill the law by being in Christ, he fulfilled it so we don’t have to.  As we walk by the Spirit we accidently fulfill the Law.
- The law could only bring about an outward righteousness, never an inward heart changing righteousness that God demanded.
- The law was added, (parenthesis) to keep the Jews from being destroyed completely.  Jesus came and fulfilled it in his body.

People thought Jesus would come and destroy the law, not so, he showed that there was no discord between His teaching and the Law.  

- He simply out classed the law!  

-The Law included three things:  Moral (10 commandments) Civil (the way that Israel was to govern itself) and Ceremonial (regulations pertaining to the worship of God)

- Jesus says, “I am the fulfillment of the Old Testament”.  











Sermon.   July 16, 2009  Psalms 25 and 23:1.  Love God the Way He Is.

Intro:  When we love God the way he is we:  We are happy with him and don’t want to change him.  

-God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.  
-When we are not satisfied in him need verses like, “be still and know that I am God.”
-David’s words in Ps 23 ring true…..

1.  We will receive his grace and forgiveness, and forgive ourselves.  His plan of salvation is perfect and good.

-If I am good enough for God I am good enough!  He loves me and died for me.  I will sing Amazing Grace everyday of my life.

-We don’t try to add to or take away from what God has done on the Cross.
-We live in grace from salvation to glorification one day in heaven.
-We will see our righteousness as filthy rags, our works as useless as to our salvation.

Neg.  We will try to change God, we will try to work for our salvation.  We will keep condemning ourselves and everyone around us.  Eg.  The old African lady who kept her bag on her head in the bakkie!!!!

2.  We will love like Mary Magdalena.  “neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more”.

“He who is forgiven much will love much.”

We will live by the “law of Love”  - Jesus on the cross, “forgive them, they know not what they do”.  

Neg.  We try to change God when we will not stop judging others and love them as God has loved us.  When we hold grudges and unforgiveness in our hearts.  We are telling God your ways are not good enough…..

3.  Will be thankful like the one in ten leapers who came back.  

Seems crazy that only one would return and say thank you.  But how much do we live like that.

Know that everything in life His heavenly Father allowed and is in control of.

We will be grateful.  RT Kendal equates sanctification to gratitude.  

Neg.  We want to change God every time we question why?  Every time we complain and shout at God, where were you when this happened?  How could a loving God allow this to happen.  We love God when he is merciful and loving but not when things are hard or he is quiet.

4.  We pray like Jesus taught us, “Thy will be done.”   Acknowledge that God has a will, line up with His will.  Jesus lived by the “will” of God.

Lorie wrote and thanked Sue Midgley this week for just simply doing what they did
-    without money
-    was not convenient

- We have seen too many people with money, time gifts and abilities DO NOTHING.
- Waiting to get set up!  My friends who said that could not even come and visit me in Africa let alone do any great things for God.

-There is something peaceful and simple about a life lived according to the will of God.  If God says do it, they do it.  

-There is only one answer, you may fight it, go around the bush for 10 years, but you will do it.

-If you say you love God you will do what He wants.  There will be no stubbornness in us, no reluctance in us.  At the same time we will do all that we can change what is not just and according to God’s plans and purposes in our lives and in this world.

-By living by the “law of the Spirit” we will fulfill the law by accident.  Jesus out classed the law.  (see notes on the law)

    Neg.  We will carve God into our little image of Him, and make him a Genie in a bottle to answer our wishes when we need him.

“it’s all about me, it’s not about you.  It’s about doing things my way!”

5.  We will live like Paul.

Gladly spend all he has and be spent.  We are all spending our lives on something.
Pressed on to take hold of that which Christ took hold of him.
Worked harder than you all.
Someone who is happy with God just gets busy serving Him from a heart of gratitude and love.  
There is something attractive about his life that others will see.
“Those who know their God, will be strong and do great exploits.”  They get on with life.

The more we “lose our lives, the more we will gain life”.   Eg.  How many times did we think we were giving up our lives?  Only to gain real life…  God always has more for us than what we gave up.  

    Neg.  Small lives, live for the now not eternity.  Means they can’t trust God and need to help Him.  

6.  Will want to be holy like John.  “He who has this hope, purifies himself.”

7.  Will enjoy life like Jesus.  

-See him with children
-Was accused of being a sinner and wine bibber.
-He allowed Mary to wash his feet with expensive perfume.
-He loved his friends and lived with them.  (walked by the sea, cooked them lunch)
-Knew he was going to die, but he still lived.

    Neg.  We will become legalistic and small minded.  Worry about the waste of perfume.

8.  We will die like Steven.  

When we are happy with God and don’t want to change him we can trust him even with the time and place of our death.

All fear is related back to the fear of dying.  Even death has lost it’s sting!!!

Eg.  How you live is how you will die.  Irene in the emergency ward.  Thought they would cry for help and forgiveness.  Went out swearing and fighting!!!!

Conclusion:  Are you happy with God?  Be honest.  If not repent and say you are sorry!  Ask for his help to know him as He really is and love him as God.

People are angry with God.
People are disappointed with God.