Who is Your God?

7-20-08

Isaiah 44:6-8

Pent 10

Rev. Michael A. Trask

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Who is your God? That may sound like a rather strange question, but we do seem to live in a time when there are a lot of variation on who or what we might worship. In our day, more than any other, it would seem, people feel free to pick and choose the various attributes of God that they find preferable, and then assemble them altogether into the God they will worship. It’s as if everyone was lining at a smorgasbord; filling their plates, and whatever they put on their plates, they worship. Choosing what suits their fancy and rejecting what doesn’t.

And there is quite a number of options to be had. Do you like a permissive God? A benign spirit who winks and nods and turns a blind eye to every violation of his law? He’s a popular one today!

Or maybe you’d prefer a scoop of the “Touched By an Angel” God whose sole purpose is to help us know that he loves us and has plans for our lives. He never demands anything like self-examination, confession of sins, or repentance.

Or how about the success God who promises he will make you rich and successful if you put in your time with him and, of course keep him informed of your plans so that he may bless you.

Or how about a little of Oprah’s God which is really the God of an author named Eckart Tolle Who writes “God... is formless consciousness and the essence of who you are.” In other words, you don’t have to search anywhere but in yourself to find God. This was the teaching that Oprah put forth last winter over the web. It’s a very honest form of idolatry I must say. Instead of setting up dummy Gods who reflect your whims and your personality, just get on with it and start worshipping yourself already!

Adding to the confusion are several organized religions that offer prepackaged meals from around the world all of which offer different gods. There’s Christianity of course, but then there is also Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Hinduism, each claim rather large numbers of adherents. Too many choices! And instead of investigating doing a little thinking, modern folks just throw up there hands and say “All of them are right! None of them are wrong!” “They are all just different paths to the same God!”

Now if this wild oversimplification is correct, the god behind all these religions in the world must be horribly conflicted! For if you compare the religions of the world even on a modest level, you will find irreconcilable differences between them. Here’s just one example: Allah, the god of the muslims says “kill the infidel” It is a command to kill those who do not believe in Allah...that’s why the muslim religion is marked by terror. What does the Christian God say that we should do with those who do not believe? Be nice to them! Turn the other Cheek! Share the Gospel with them so that they may live! The Lord says even in the Old Testament that he DOES NOT desire the death of the wicked but wants them to live.

Now that is a very start difference between these two religions! And there are many other stark differences betweeen all the religions...almost too many to count. If all the religions of the world are worshipping the same God, that god must be psychotic! He is constantly contradicting and working at cross purposes to himself!

Some argue that this multi God problem is new to our generation; that in past generations it was simpler because we didn’t have so many choices; that the new multicultural world in which we live is so much more difficult than it was in olden times. But that’s not true. God’s people in the Old Testament times were surrounded by people of different cultures, all worshipping different Gods. There was Baal, there was Asheroth, there was Molech, there were the Egyptian Gods, the Assyrian Gods, and countless little gods all over the place! This is is nothing new. The struggle to be faithful and to worship the true God is ancient; ancient as the day God first gave his Ten Commandments and made first one to be: “You shall have no other Gods.” ; ancient as the day Adam and Eve first thought they could be their own God’s and disobeyed the Lord. Oprah thinks she’s on to something new....Adam and Eve got her beat by thousand’s of years. This struggle is nothing new. We can expect to struggle with the question of “who is your God” for all of our days. It will be the question of the day on the last day.

It was the question of the day in the time of Isaiah, as the people saw their approaching demise they wondered “Was the Lord really there?” “What about those other gods can they hurt us or help us?” And he replies...through his prophet Isaiah, “I am the first and am the last, apart from me there is no God.” First and Last. I like that He existed first. He existed before the world was formed. He existed before he created us. He existed before the universe. He was and is First... He is “the prime mover”. He not only made the watch but he put it in motion, and he winds it. He’s the first. He’s also the Last. After all is said and done, after this world wears out like a garment, after all the nations of the world are gone and all the thoughts and ideas of man perished....he will remain. He is the Last. He is the first and the last. There are no other Gods.

And you want to know what’s cool? In the Book of Revelation....this same designation, “first and last” is applied to Jesus! He, with the father and the Holy Spirit together are the One God, the first and the last. Jesus, the one we know as our Savior who died for us to earn our place in the kingdom of God for eternity was there at the beginning when were made and he will be there at the end...his hands still bearing the marks of his death for us. His hands pleading for our release on the day of Judgement; his hands welcoming us into eternity declaring peace to us through his blood; his voice saying “behold, I am making everything new.” Jesus is the first and the last. Jesus is the only God.

This is the chief difference between Christianity and the religions of the world. In Christianity, God revealed himself to us in his Son Jesus. And in Jesus, God Saves. In fact, Jesus name, in Greek means “The Lord Saves”. The Angel Gabriel came to Mary and said “you Shall Call his name Jesus...because he will save the people from their sins.” The Lord Saves. This is significant! The Lord does the saving! All other religions say that man saves himself by keeping the law. Only Christianity.....has the God who saves....by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. This makes our Lord the Standout favorite!

In the text he asks Who then is like me?” “Let him speak up!” 1000’s of years have passed and none of the other God’s have answered him, that’s because they don’t really exist!

The Lordcalls himself a Rock. That of course refers to the Solidness of our God. He is the “Rock of our Salvation” This Rock upon which we stand cannot really be shaken. Though everything else will be shaken....everything else will pass away...the Lord our rock will remain firm forever and so will we! Jesus is our Rock. He is the stone rejected by many whom God has made into the Cornerstone. (1Peter 2:7) Trust in him and you will never be ashamed (Psalm 31:1) Call upon him, and he will deliver you (Psalm 50:15). Build you life upon his words for they will ever remain true. Who’s your God? Let it be the true God. AMEN