Where is He?

Q: What does the Bible say about Christ's time and purpose?

The Bible teaches that Christ acted according to His divine timing and purpose, especially regarding His sacrifice. In John 7, Jesus emphasizes, 'My time is not yet come,' indicating His actions are governed by divine timing rather than human expectations. Throughout scripture, we see a theme of God working in His own good time for His glory and for the good of His people. Jesus' mission was not only to perform miracles but to fulfill God’s redemptive plan, which included His death at the appointed time. Understanding this aspect helps believers trust in God's sovereignty in their own lives, knowing He orchestrates events according to His perfect will.

Q: How do we know God is sovereign?

The Bible affirms God's sovereignty, demonstrating His control over all creation and events. Sovereignty is a key attribute of God demonstrated throughout scripture. Psalm 115:3 states, 'Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.' This underscores that God's will is not contingent upon human actions or approval. Sovereignty is illustrated not only in creation but also in salvation, where Ephesians 1:4-5 shows God’s choice of believers before the foundation of the world. Understanding God’s sovereignty reassures believers that despite their circumstances, God remains in control and has a greater purpose in their lives.

Q: Why is Christ's sacrificial death important for Christians?

Christ’s sacrificial death is central to the Christian faith as it provides atonement for sin. The significance of Christ's sacrificial death lies in its redemptive purpose; He bore the sins of humanity, fulfilling God’s justice while providing grace. As stated in Galatians 6:14, 'God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.' This underscores the importance of the cross as the means through which believers are reconciled to God. Jesus took our punishment, offering us forgiveness and eternal life. His death not only exemplifies God’s love but is crucial for the believers’ justification and sanctification, assuring them of their acceptance before God.

John chapter 7 begins with these
words, after these things. After he had fed the five thousand
with five loaves and two fishes, after he had had that long discourse
with the Jews about being the bread of life and the water of
life, after he had exhorted them that life was not in their ceremonies
nor in their sacrifices, but in his flesh and in his blood.
He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life."
Well, the Jews, the latter part of verse 1, it says the Jews
sought to kill him. Now, they wanted to kill him
mainly for healing a man on their Sabbath day. He had violated
their religious tradition. He violated their religious customs,
and it made them angry, and they sought to kill the Son of God.
The second reason why they wanted to kill him is not only for violating
their religious traditions, but for claiming equality with the
Father. Now verse 2 says, the Jews' feast
of tabernacles was at hand. Now this feast of tabernacles
commemorated the dwelling of the people of Israel in tents
in the wilderness. This feast of tabernacles reached
back and revealed and showed, commemorated how that the Jews
dwelled in the wilderness in tents. And once a year all the
Jews from everywhere would come to Jerusalem, and there they
would live in for such and such a time, and they would eat their
meals like the Jews did in the wilderness. Now this feast of
the tabernacles was at hand. Verse 3 says, his brethren. Now this is not his disciples.
These are his brothers. If you'll turn to Matthew chapter
13, we'll show you what I mean. Matthew 13. Now there's been
a whole lot of been a whole lot of discussion on this subject,
and we're just going to let the Bible stand and not have a lot
of discussion on it anymore, as far as I'm concerned. But
these are the other children of Mary and Joseph. Now, after
Christ was born of Mary, who was a virgin when he was conceived,
according to the Word of God, Mary gave birth to other children. Christ had some brothers and
some sisters. Because on one occasion they
came to hear him, to talk to him, and the people came in and
said, your mother and your brothers and your sisters are out there
wanting to talk to you. And he said, who is my mother
and who are my brethren and who are my sisters? These who do
the will of God. And here in Matthew 13, verse
55, the people of Israel, the Jews, are speaking, and certainly
they are not set for the defense of Mary's virginity. And so they
say in Matthew 13, 55, is not this the carpenter's son? They
thought he was born just like those other children. Is not
his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joseph and
Simon and Judas? Now, that's not Judas Iscariot,
and that's not Simon Peter. Judas was a common name in those
days. We don't name our children Judas.
their obvious reason, but that was a common name in those days.
Is not this the carpenter's son? Do we not know his mother Mary,
and do we not know his brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and
Judas? These were his brethren. Now
that's who we're talking about in John 7, verse 3. His brethren,
his brothers, said to him, Depart hence and go to Jerusalem, that
people might see the works that you do. They didn't believe in
him. They didn't believe he was the
Messiah. They didn't believe he was the Son of God. They didn't
believe that he was the Christ. And they said, Now, if you want
people to believe in you, believe the things you claim to do, then
go up there where all the Jews are going to be in Jerusalem
this week. They're going to be from everywhere, and this will
give you an opportunity to speak to more people. 5, verse 4, And
no man that that doeth anything in secret, if he wants to be
known openly. If you want people to really
believe what you're doing, quit doing these things in secret.
That is, verse 4, the last line, that is, if you do these things,
if you really do them, if what they're saying about you is so.
And when he came back to Nazareth one time, you remember the people
said, do the things here that we've heard you've done in other
places. Let's see some of these miracles. Verse 5, For neither
did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said to them, My time
is not yet come. That is, the time for me to be
exalted, the time for me to be crucified. The real confrontation,
the time for it, is not here. I do things according to my Father's
calendar. He said that to his mother, you
remember, at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. She came
and said, they don't have any more wine. He said, what have
I to do with thee, woman? My time is not yet come. Shortly
before he went to the cross, he said, the hour is here, the
hour for which I came into the world. My time is here. It's not time, though, for me
to be exalted. It's not time for me to be crucified. Your time's always ready. to
fulfill what you came to do. Your time is always ready to
be what you are. The world can't hate you. It
can't hate you because you're of the world. But me it hated,
because I'm not of the world. I testify of it, that the works
there are the evil. The world knows that I'm different
from them. My words are different, my works
are different. My character is different. You
go to the feast, talking to his brother, you go to the feast,
I will not go up, and here's an important word, yet, yet unto
the feast. In other words, if we don't have
that word in there, if we are not careful to leave it in there,
It makes it appear that the Lord said to his brothers, I'm not
going, and then after they left, he went. But he says, I go not
yet. I'm certainly not going with
you. I'm not going in there in a body. I'm not going in there
in a group. I'm not going into Jerusalem
to talk these people and to dare them to nail me to a cross. I go not up yet to the feast.
My time is not yet full come. When that time has come, the
trumpet will blast. When that time has come, they
will be stirred up. When that time has come, I'll
be out in the open. I'll be available to them. I'll
be right there in the middle of them when my time has come.
But this is not the time to do these things." On another occasion
later, he rode right into the city of Jericho on a donkey while
the people cried, "'Hosanna! Hail to the King of the Jews,
the King that cometh in the name of the Lord!' Now verse 9, when
he said these words to them, he stayed in Galilee. But when
his brethren were gone up to the feast, then went he also
up to the feast. Not openly. Not time for confrontations. Not time to blow the horn. It's
not time. You remember many times he'd
heal a man, he'd say, don't tell anybody. Let's don't have this
thing out where it has to be dealt with yet. There came a
time when it had to be dealt with. Came a time when the Jews
had to do something about him, when the Pharisees had to do
something about him, but this is not the time. God has a program. God does everything in his good
time, for his glory, for our good. And our Lord, when his
brethren had gone up to the feast, then he went up to the feast,
not openly, but in secret. And then the Jews sought him
at the feast. And they said, where is he? Some wanted to take him and kill
him. He was the talk of the feast. He wasn't there. They didn't
know where he was. They were going everywhere looking
for him. Where is this man who claims to be the Messiah? Where
is this man who claims to be equal with God? Where is this
man that says that God sent him? Some wanted to hear his word.
Some wanted to see his miracles. They expected him to be that.
It was his custom. He was a Jew, he kept the Jewish
law. They expected him to be at the
feast because it was his custom, and then also it was his duty
as an Israelite to be there. All of them were supposed to
be there. And so they were looking fine. And this is my text this
morning. The Jews sought him at the feast
and they said, where is he? Now many have asked this question
through the years. Actually no man having heard
the claims of Christ, no man having heard the message of Christ,
no man being aware of the work of Christ can remain indifferent
to Christ. I don't care who you are. whether
you're the most openly speaking infidel or atheist or agnostic,
whether you're a nominal church member, whether you are an indifferent,
careless Christian, or whether you are a devout believer, no
man, having heard the message of Jesus Christ, having been
exposed to the claims of Jesus Christ, can remain indifferent.
He must take some sort of interest in him. We go back through the
Scripture and we find many dead. I'll just give them to you briefly.
In Matthew 2, the wise men ask this question, where is he? Matthew
2, verse 2, they said, where is he that's born King of the
Jews? Where is he? They wanted to worship
him. Where is he that's born King? Now some men are made King by
the people. Some men inherit kingdoms from
their fathers. Some men become kings by conquering,
by running over others and taking their lands and setting up their
own kingdoms. But these wise men wisely said,
Where is he who is born king? He's King of Kings and Lord of
Lords by eternal decree, by divine decree. God made Him Lord, God
made Him King. He is the only King. He is born
King. And these wise men wanted to
know, where is He who is born King? Not made King by conquering,
not made King by inheritance, not made King by vote of the
people, but He is the King because the kingdom is His. And then
Herod asked this question. He didn't ask it that he might
worship him. In Matthew 2, 4, Herod said,
Where is he that's born king, that he might destroy him? Now,
he killed all the children in Bethlehem, two years and under.
Why? Because Jesus Christ was a threat
to his kingdom of evil. Evil men have a right to fear
the king. Evil men have a right to fear
him because his kingdom is a holy kingdom. His kingdom is a righteous
kingdom. Simeon took the child Jesus up
in his arms and he said, this child is set for the fall of
many. This child is set not only for
the rising again and for the mercies of God to be given through
him, And not only to lift the beggar from the dunghill and
set him among the princes, but this child is set for the fall
of many. His kingdom shall grind to powder
all who resist him and all who rebel against him. Where is he,
Herod said? Where is he? And then infidels. I want you to turn with me to
this scripture because it's coming a little closer to home. Psalm
42. Psalm 42, agnostics and infidels
have asked this question. They've asked this question of
believers. Where is your God? Where is your God? Evil is on
every hand. Satan triumphs. The wicked prosper. Godly men suffer. The Word of
God is mocked, ridiculed. The gospel is perverted. The
world is running rampant to hell. Where's God? Where's your God? In Psalm 42, David said, is the
heart, the deer, thirsteth after the water brooks. So panteth
my soul after thee, O God, my soul thirsteth for God, for the
living God. When shall I come and appear
before God? My tears have been my meat, day
and night, while they continually say to me, mockingly, Where is
your God, David? Where is God? Verse 9, I will
say unto God, my rock, why hast thou forsaken me? Why go I mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in
my bones, my enemies reproach me while they say daily unto
me, Where is God, David? Where is God? Where is God? Evil is unchecked. The church
is powerless. Satan is triumphant. The wicked
prosper. Good men suffer. Where is God? And then in 2 Peter chapter 3,
this question has been asked by doubters for centuries. The
doubters, preachers preach, Christ is coming again. And the doubters
say, where is the promise of his coming? 2 Peter 3 verse 3,
knowing this first, that they shall come in the last days scoffered,
walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise
of his coming? Since the Fathers fell asleep,
everything continues just like it has continued from the beginning
of creation. Where are the signs? Why doesn't
he show himself? Where is he? Why doesn't he come
again? Why doesn't he put an end to
this confusion? Why doesn't he give us some evidence
that he's coming? Why doesn't he give us some evidence
that his coming is near? Men have been saying for 300
years, Jesus is soon coming, and now they're laughing. They've
erected signs on the highways out of hard concrete, Jesus is
soon coming, and time and rains and winds and seasons and years
and centuries have passed by till the signs which said Jesus
is soon coming have corrupted, corroded, mildewed, fallen over,
and gone back to the dust from whence they came. Where is he? Where is he? And then servants
of God needing his power. Elijah had died. The responsibility
to preach had fallen on young Elijah. He wasn't anything but
a man. He knew it more than anybody
else. They knew it, but he knew it too. He needed the message of God.
He needed the power of God. He needed the presence of God.
He needed the assurance of God. And he stood there with that
nothing left of Elijah but a coat that Elijah dropped as he ascended
to glory. And he took that coat and he
smote the waters of Jordan and cried, Where is God? Where is
God? Where is the Lord God of Elijah? I imagine there are preachers
all over this world, like this one in the pulpit here this morning,
asking the same question, where is God? Where is God? And then in Job 23, Job chapter
23, children of God going through severe trial, testings, deep
waters, dark valleys, alone feel like that God has forsaken them,
and they cried, where, they cried, where is God? Oh, Job, in chapter
23, verse 1, Job answered and said, Even today is my complaint
bitter, bitter. My stroke is heavier than my
groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might
find him. This is the man that said, The
Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. This is the man who, when
he lost everything, would not charge God with sin. This was
the man that said, Though he slay me yet will I trust him.
This was the man who said, I know my Redeemer liveth. This is the
man who now says, Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that
I might come even to his throne. I would order my cause before
him, and fill my mouth with arguments." Verse 9, "...on the left hand,
where he doth work." Verse 8, "...behold, I go forward, but
he's not there, and backward I can't perceive him. On the
left hand, where he doth work, but I can't find him. He hideth
himself on the right hand, I can't see him." Where is God? Where is God? But I do know this, I know verse
10, I know that he knows that the way, I know that he knows
the way that I take, he knows where I am, I don't know where
he is, but he knows where I am. When he hath tried me, I shall
come forth as pure gold, the dross and the impurities melted
away, and only the fine metal remains. But that doesn't help
me much right now. I know what the end's going to
be, but the present is a little difficult. Where is God? Turn back to the text. John chapter
7. You see, this question's been
asked a heap of times, hasn't it? Where is God? Where is God? Well, let's find
the answer. First of all, I'm going to call
in David. I want David to answer this question.
I think David knew him. I think David had some mighty
close fellowship with the Lord. I think David walked with God.
David, where's God? In Psalms 115, David says, verse
2, Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is your God? David replies, Our God is in
the heavens. Our God is in the heavens. He
hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. He moves, as far as
we're concerned, in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps on the
sea. He rides upon the storm. He is
answerable to no man. He is obligated to no flesh.
He doeth all things according to his will. None can stay his
hand or say unto him, What doest thou? He declares the end from
the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not
yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand. Our God's in the
heaven. Now, my friends, Only before
a sovereign throne will a man actually worship. Only before a sovereign
throne. People who believe that God is
less than sovereign, they bargain with God, they argue with God.
They debate with God. But people who believe that God
doeth all things according to his own will, that they're in
the hands of a God who will do as he pleases, when he pleases,
with whom he pleases, who is too good to do wrong, who's too
wise to make a mistake, they'll worship that God. They'll fall
in fear. And the word fear in the Bible
is synonymous with worship. What does the Lord require thee?
You fear the Lord. Come, my children, I'll teach
you how you ought to fear the Lord. A believer in the Old Testament
was called one who feared God. Unbelievers are described in
this way, there's no fear of God before their eyes. And then,
secondly, only at a sovereign throne will a man find salvation. I am unable to atone for my sins,
I'm unable to put away my guilt, I'm unable to even alter my course. My sincerest efforts at holiness
are a complete failure. That's the reason Jeremiah said,
can the Ethiopian change his skin? He may desire to with the
strongest passions and cannot do it. Can the leper change his
spots? Neither can you do good. And I'm not talking about goodness
as man defines it. I'm talking about goodness as
God reveals it. Neither can you do good. I'm
not talking about giving to the church. I'm not talking about
wearing proper clothing. I'm not talking about conducting
yourself in an honest fashion, in integrity. That's not the
goodness I'm referring to. I'm referring to the holiness
and the goodness as it's revealed in the character of God Almighty.
Neither can you do good that are accustomed to doing evil.
And only at a sovereign throne can a man find health and mercy
and grace in time of need. And only at a sovereign throne
will a man find comfort. That is, if I can look at the
dark clouds and say that God's in them, if I can look at the
deep waters and say that God has a purpose in it. If I can
look at the things that surround me and say that God permits them,
and God brings them to pass for my good and for his glory, if
I can look at even our mistakes and say that, well, God willed
it and God permitted it because God has a greater purpose to
serve, a greater purpose to serve. then I can find comfort. If I can see even when things
that I strive to build, and I feel like that in the building of
them, God's purpose will be served, and instead of being able to
build as rapidly as I'd like to build, they fall about me. I say, well, God intended that
to fall to serve a greater purpose. God intended this person to depart
to serve a greater purpose. It's like the man who goes out
and his apple tree has borne beautiful fruit this summer. The summer's ended now. It's
tree-pruning time. And the man goes out who has
greater judgment than I do, I look at that tree and I say it's full,
it's beautiful, it's got all these limbs on it, boy, wait
till next year. But the man, the wise farmer
who knows trees, he sees that some of those limbs have got
to come off. That tree's got to be cut back, severely cut
back, severely pruned. So he goes out there with his
pruning shears and he starts cutting on that tree. And I say,
no, it took years for that tree to get this big. Don't do that.
It took so long for me to grow those limbs and those leaves.
It took so long for me to get that beautiful shape of that
tree. Don't do that to that tree. He says, I know what I'm doing.
I know what I'm doing. And he drastically cuts it back. And if I believe he knows what
he's doing, I'll leave him alone. If I think I know more than he
does, I'll fall out with him and I'll leave him. I'll go buy
me another farm. But if I believe he's wise enough
and he's experienced enough to know what he's doing, I'll say,
you're the boss. You cut it down if you want to. You can cut it
down if you want to and plant another one. And that's where
a man will find comfort, when God begins to whittle his plans
down, when God begins to prune his tree, when God begins to
cut into his plans and cut into his program and cut into his
buildings and cut into these things that he thinks that he
has done. If he's got confidence in God and in God's wisdom, he'll
stand back and say, Lord, cut it down if you want to. After
all, I'm here to serve you and your glory is is what I'm interested
in. God said to Gideon, I want you
to defeat the people, the enemies. And Gideon said, don't have 20,000
men. God said, you've got too many.
You've got to get rid of some of them. Too many, Lord? You've
got too many. Gideon had confidence in God.
He said, all right. Finally, God got him down to
300 men. Gideon said, you mean with only
300 I go against 1,000? God said, yes, because in that
way I'll get the glory. Where is he? He's on the throne.
Turn to Acts 10. Let's let Peter answer this question
for us. Where is he, Peter? Acts 10.43. Turn over there. Where is God? Acts 10.43. Peter says he's in
the Word, in this book. He's in this book. Acts 10.43,
to him give all the prophets witness. He is in the scripture. Cut into this book anywhere,
and you'll find Christ. In the book of Genesis, he's
the woman's seed. Thy seed shall be an enemy of
the woman's seed. In Exodus, he's the Passover
lamb. When I see the blood, I'll pass
over you. In Leviticus, he's the great
atonement. Lifting the veil, the great high
priest took the blood and put it on the mercy seat, covered
the law with a suitable sacrifice. In Numbers, he's the serpent
lifted up. As Moses lifted up the serpent,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. In Deuteronomy, he's
the city of refuge. The manslayer will flee to the
city and nobody can touch him. In Joshua, He's Rahab's scarlet
line. That harlot put that red line
out the window. This is my house. Don't come
near my house. Don't destroy my house. That's
scarlet line. It's become the mark of the harlot,
the red light. But that's because man's so perverted. He's twisted this thing. That
scarlet line was once the type of Christ. The type of Christ. When she put the red thread out
the window, It was to say to the forces of Israel, this is
your friend, don't destroy my home. That's Christ. In Judges,
he's the Lord, our peace. In Ruth, he's the kinsman, redeemer. In the Psalms, he's my shepherd.
In Isaiah, he's my sin offering. You could go on through the word.
Let John answer. Turn to John 1. Let's see, where
is he? Where is he? Well, glory to God,
John says he is in the world. John 1, verse 10. He was in the
world. He was in this world. He made
the world. The world knew him not, but he
was in this world. The word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. A virgin gave to this world a
man-child. He took upon himself our flesh.
He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. He walked this
earth. That's where he is, walking this
earth. Tempted at all points as we are,
yet without seeing. Man of sorrows, what a name,
what a name. Man of sorrows. For the Son of
God who came, ruling sinners to reclaim, hallelujah, what
a Savior. Guilty, vile, and helpless we,
spotless Son of God was He. Full atonement can it be? Yes. Hallelujah, what a Savior! Christ
our representative, Christ our substitute, Christ our surety,
actually in the flesh, King of this earth, identified himself
with a transgressor. They called him the friend of
sinners. Our Lord was in this world, and
when he looked up some folks to be friendly with, he didn't
go to the synagogue, he didn't go to the palace of the emperor,
Our Lord went to the poor man, the despised, the fallen, the
guilty, publicans and sinners. Where is he? Let Paul answer. Galatians 6.14. Where is he,
Paul? Galatians 6.14. Paul says, God
forbid that I should glory, save him the cross. He's on the cross.
He's on the cross. God in the flesh. dying for our sins. He's on the
cross. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself. Old Barabbas was sitting down
there in the dungeon, guilty, condemned, sentenced to die,
way down there in the dungeon. He could hear that mob out there
in the street. He didn't know what was going
on, but he could hear that mob. They were so loud. Thousands
of people were screaming and yelling. Barabbas could hear
them. And he heard these words, Give
us Barabbas! Give us Barabbas! And he trembled,
trembled. There was a silence. He couldn't
hear what was going on then. But then he heard that crowd
take up a chant, Crucify him! Crucify him! Barabbas sat down
there in that cell, knowing that that crowd was screaming and
yelling for his blood, or thinking they were. That's what he'd heard,
Give us Barabbas. Crucify him, crucify him. After
a while he heard the key in that iron door, and the door squeaked
open, and he looked and he saw the metal clad soldiers with
their spears and swords coming down those stairs, and he shrank
over in the corner of his cell, and his chains rattled, and the
soldiers came into the cell, and they roughly grabbed him,
and one of them unlocked the chains on his hands and the chains
on his feet, and the other one said, Now get out of here! Barabbas should have run, but
he was so surprised he couldn't move. He said, He said, What? And the soldier said, Get out
of here. And Barabbas said, What do you mean? The soldier said,
You're free. And Barabbas said, I don't understand.
I just heard the people cry, Give us Barabbas. I heard them
cry, Crucify him. And the soldier said, But could
you not hear Pilate? I didn't hear him. What did he
say? Well, you see, Barabbas is a man called Jesus up there.
And they've arrested him, and Pilate said, It's customary at
this feast to give freedom to a prisoner. You want Christ or
you want Barabbas. That's when they said, Give us
Barabbas. And then Pilate said, What shall I do with Jesus? And
he said, That's when you heard, Crucify him. Barabbas, that man
Jesus, is going to die on your cross in your place, and because
he's taken your place, you're free to go. Barabbas went up
there on a hill. He didn't dare trust himself
down there among those people. He went up on a hill somewhere,
and he looked over there and he saw on that other hill three
crosses. One of them was his. One of them
was his. And on that cross was the body
of a man dying in his place. And, my friends, that's where
he is. He's on my cross, dying for my
sins. under God's wrath against my
sins in my stead." That's where he is. You want to know where
he is? That's where he is. Where is he? Well, let's let Matthew
answer, Matthew 28. Before our Lord went back to
glory, he said in Matthew 28, after he died and was buried
and rose again, before he went back to glory, He said to his
disciples in verse 18 of Matthew 28, And Jesus came and spake
unto them, saying, All authority, all power, is given unto me in
heaven and earth. He's on a throne. You want to
know where Christ is? He's on the throne. He is King. He's not going to be. He is.
He is. He is at the right hand of God. God hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name which is above every name, that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess
that he is Lord. In heaven, earth, and hell, he
is Lord. He's King. That's where he is.
He's on the throne. He's on the throne. What about
the fellow going through the furnace of trial, suffering,
agony? Turn to Hebrews 13. Our Lord
says to his disciples, I'm with you always, even to the end of
the earth. There's no trial that can befall
us that he has not already suffered. There's no difficulty through
which we go that he has not already gone. He's not going to desert
us. He may withdraw his presence for a while, in order that the
trial might be a trial. He might withdraw his presence
for a season in order that the trial might be more intense,
that it might be a genuine time of sorrow, a time of loneliness. How can you be lonely if you're
not alone? How can you be lonely if you're
not alone? How can you bear your cross if somebody else is bearing
it for you? So the Lord withdraws his presence,
he withdraws himself in order that there might really be a
trial. And it's real, don't you kid yourself, the man that says
he walks with me all the time is lying. He's there, but you're
not aware of his presence sometimes. He withdraws himself. He withdraws
himself. David experienced that. Where
is God? Job experienced that. And here
in Hebrews 13, verse 5, let your conversation be without covetousness,
and be content with such things as you have, for he hath said,
I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you. That's so. That's so. But the lines of communication,
while they're open from God to me, are not always open from
me to God. You see what I'm saying? The lines of communication are
not always open from me to God. That's the reason the trial is
a trial. But we have his promise. I want
you to listen to this. In the book of Joshua, in the
book of Joshua, our Lord said this to Joshua. Now, here's another
man. Moses had died. Moses had died. And God, Joshua, was supposed
to take that awesome responsibility, that awesome responsibility.
And in Joshua 1, verse 2, God said, Moses, my servant is dead. Now Joshua, arise, go over Jordan,
thou and all this people unto the land which I do give to thee,
even to the children of Israel. That makes the biggest man, the
strongest man, the most confident man, tremble in his boot. To
walk in the footsteps of Moses, to undertake, to complete the
task God gave to Moses. And God said to Joshua in verse
5, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all
the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, I'll be
with you." I'll be with you. I'll not fail you. I'll not fail
you. Man said to Spurgeon one time,
Mr. Spurgeon, I don't have dying grace. Spurgeon said, Are you
dying? He said, No, sir. He said, You
don't need it. God will give you grace sufficient for the
day. That's what God is saying to Joshua here. Joshua said,
Lord, you never talked to me like you talked to Moses. God
said, I didn't have to, I had Moses. Lord, you didn't need
me like you led Moses, didn't have to have Moses. Now Moses
is dead. But as I was with Moses, I'll
be with you. I'll not fail you and I'll not
forsake you. Where is God? Where is God? Our Lord said to us, where two
or three are met in my name, I'll be in their midst. I'll
be in their midst. He may not be there as we think
he ought to. He may not be doing what we think
he ought to be doing. He may not be carrying on his
business like we think he ought to carry on his business, but
he's here. He's here. God will reveal himself in his
good time, in his good pleasure, to accomplish his good purpose.
And what we're going to have to do is ask the Holy Spirit
to develop in us a confidence in his purpose and a confidence
in his wisdom. and a confidence in his grace
that even when things completely fall and fail and crumble all
about us, we can say he's still on the throne. Though he slay
me, I will trust him, because in slaying me, Samson accomplished
more in his death than he did in his life. It may be that by
killing me, God can accomplish his purpose, and you too. It
may be by destroying me. It may be by destroying confidence
in myself. It may be that even my fall will
be for God's glory. To reveal to me, Paul had the
thorn in the flesh, and God said, you're going to keep it too,
Lord. It's inconvenient. I know it's inconvenient. But I'm giving it to you for
a purpose, that you might know you're just a man. After all
is said and done, after writing 14 books in the New Testament,
after founding churches all over the world, and after being the
greatest preacher of the Gentiles, you better realize one thing,
Paul, you're still a human being. I'm God. Now, if we can bow to
that, where is he? Where is he? He's right here.
He's right here. But he's not a man. Thou thoughtest
I was altogether such a one as thyself. You got your little
religious program, and you think it ought to always be successful.
Sometimes when religion goes through its greatest time of
persecution and depression and defeat, God gets the most glory.
God gets the most glory. He's always God. He's God on
the mountain. He's God in the valley. He's
God in the day. He's God in the dark. He's God
in the laughter. He's God in the tears. He's God
in the breath. He's God in the death. He's God
at the wedding. He's God at the cemetery. He's
God. Our Father in heaven, press upon us as never before. the knowledge that our God is
in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased. Our God was in the flesh, walking
this earth, dying for sinners. Our God is risen and ascended
and seated on the throne of glory. Our God is coming again. And
our God will never fail us. He'll never forsake us. He's
always with us. And that's toll that on Jesus
hath leaned for repose.

Where is He?

What does the Bible say about Christ's time and purpose?

How do we know God is sovereign?

Why is Christ's sacrificial death important for Christians?

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About Henry Mahan

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Where is He?

What does the Bible say about Christ's time and purpose?

How do we know God is sovereign?

Why is Christ's sacrificial death important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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