What does God want?

A somewhat abbreviated message by David Youngs, to First Presbyterian Church

Basic Scripture: John 10: 1-11 & 14; Colossians 1: 15-20

     You have noticed some similarities in most of my messages, haven’t you? It didn’t take long for me to realize that we are the kind of church that you don’t have to park your brain at the door. Of course, it’s not all about the brain, but I like propositional truths, and I operate from a base of those. The Bible is God’s story; I believe in it’s narrative primacy, but it has many, many propositionally stated truths. Check Genesis 1:1; Galatians 4:4; Revelation 21:3; for instance and multiplied others.

      My launch proposition for today’s message, “What Does God Want?” is: There is always a bigger picture than is readily obvious. You have all been in situations where sooner or later you realized there was something bigger going on than you first realized. We all have spiritual and ontological miopia--we were born with it. People are finite, contingent and fallen--we do not naturally see God’s bigger plan. We live in a fallen world. (See Question 16 in the Westminster Catechism.) 

     We, you and I, “good people” by the world’s standards sin!  (Check Romans. 3:23 and Q’s 17 & 18 of the Catechism.) Did you notice the long list of sins that we confessed in our confessional prayer this morning? Whew! But, yes, like Martha we are guilty of many. Of course, confession brings God’s forgiveness, but let’s remember that repentance needs to follow. We are part of the human rebellion through inheritance and by our actions. That’s bad news.

     But the Good News is that God was/is not content to leave it at that. The “fire in God’s belly” was/is to be united with His Creation; especially those He created in His own image--you and me, all, image bearers. “The eternal purpose of the Father is to bring us into existence, and not just into existence, but into his house. And not just into his house, but to his table, and not just to his table but to his right hand. And not just to his right hand, but into conversation with Him, and not just into conversation with Him, but into face-to-face fellowship with God the Father himself.” I love that quote, don’t you? 

      On Saturday we celebrated our landing on the moon--fifty years ago! What an accomplishment, what a tribute to human ingenuity! Probably the greatest news of American history since the Declaration of Independence! (Read Psalm 8) But, as great an event as that was, it pales in comparison to  “The most stunning news of the universe--the incarnation of the Son of God.” What is this all about? God wanted a large family if imagers. (Romans 8:31) Out there, in eternity before Creation, the Father, the Son, the Spirit, each living in loving relationship and activity for the others wanted to bring humans, you, me and all others into the dance of living in the Family. Read John 3:16, Hebrews 4:10, Colossians 1:30. Imagine being a parent of a child in whom you took grandest delight--you would want more such children, wouldn’t you? That was/is God the Father’s desire--what He wants.

     Remember the poster of Uncle Sam in the Post Office? He wants you!

No, Uncle Sam is not God, but he reminds me of a desire, the desire of God--He wants you and me for His own--to follow Him.

     Some of Jesus’ first recorded words were, “Follow me. (Matt. 4:19) In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus pictures himself-God- as the shepherd who leads his sheep.

I like westerns where they drive the cattle--you can’t do that with sheep. Yes, I know, it seems that many of us would never get anywhere apart from being driven. But, listen to the voice of Jesus. “Follow me to life everlasting and abundant.” (aeon zoe  in the Greek) Remember who this shepherd is; we just read in the Colossians passage that He is the “image of the invisible God.” So, where do we follow Him to?

     First we follow Jesus to the cross where he lifts us out of fallenness into new creation. See Him there, crucified for you and me; embrace Him; receive Him; allow His death for sin to be the substitution for your own. This is a personal, inward transaction. I hope that everyone here has done that, but if you have not, I urge you to do so, If you would like to talk further about this, please tell me. This is not the same as church membership. Embracing Christ’s death saves us for eternity. Have you done that?

     Christ’s life is redeeming too. After following Jesus to the cross, God wants us to follow Jesus’ living for this life. Jesus said in John 8:12, “The person who follows me, will not walkness, but will have the light of life.” What a promise--what a propositional truth--what a way to live!

      What does God want? God wants you to follow the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep and arose to lead them.

      Q. 1 of the Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man (humans)? It answers 

“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” I believe that; I also believe that the chief end of God--God’s major purpose--is to glorify humans and to enjoy them forever.That is what God wants.  Amen