8.31.2008 SERMON. Hide and Seek
By William Akehurst, HSWC
Hide and Seek
Peek-a-boo
Where are you?
There you are!
A simple game of hide and seek.
One hides while the other closes their eyes and counts to 10
Then, the counter must seek out the hider.
Simple enough isn’t it.
When was the last time you played the game of hide and seek.
Not since you were a child you say?
Oh, I would think it was probably more recent than that
With your own children or grand children
No, I mean as recent as this year, or even this month, or week or - this morning.
And perhaps you didn’t even know you were
Genesis 3:8-10
8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
They sinned, and they hid, because of their shame.
Point to ponder: Answer these questions if you will. We know that God is our creator right? All powerful? All knowing? All seeing?
Then look at vs 9. then why would the creator, the all powerful, knows all and sees all LORD God need to ask the question to Adam..."Where are you?"
Jeremiah 23:24
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
Ecclesiasties 12:14
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
IN TROUBLE? DON’T HIDE
Would we want GOD to hide when we are in trouble? Why should we try to hide ourselves from HIM when HE wants to help us in our time of need.
Psalm 50:15
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Like a parent to their child, we desire the response to come first from the child. God knew exactly where Adam was, but Adam needed to realize that he had done wrong, and come clean.
DON’T HIDE IT, CONFESS IT
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Adam was hiding, and God knew exactly where he was. Here is the very first example of what we are to do to get right with God. Its the very key to our salvation.
We must first admit that we’ve done wrong. Then we must ask forgiveness, confessing. God wants us to come to HIM...and when we didn’t, HE sent JESUS to come to us!
Hide and Seek? We can ask the LORD to Search us out, and show us where we are wrong. I read it in the devotional Our Daily Bread...a statement that went something like this.
For us to know that we are right, we must be willing to first search out where we are wrong.
SEARCH ME
Psalm 139:
1 O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
HIDE THIS
Psalms 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
SEEK THIS
Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 7:7-8
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
HIDE AND SEEK
We sin, and we try to hide it.
We are in trouble, and yet, the FATHER loves us so much that HE wants to help us, but we need to decide that we need HIM, rather than to think we can get ourselves out of the jam we are in. We are given the right to call out to the LORD. Can you imagine if HE hid from us in our time of need?
HE seeks us, knows us. What do we have to hide?
We are to hide HIS WORD in our hearts, to guide, and guard us from doing what displeases HIM, doing wrong. Sinning
We are to seek HIM, not that HE is hiding, but rather that we put our focus on exploring HIM rather than things of this world.
HIDE the WORD in your hearts and SEEK HIM!
Scriptures Referenced:
Genesis 3:8-10; Jeremiah 23:24; Ecclesiasties 12:14; Psalm 50:15; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 139:1, 23; 2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 119:11; Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Matthew 6:33; Matthew 7:7-8
