Experiencing God Reality 1: God is at Work 05/17/26

Devotional

Day 1: Waters That Tell the Story

Jesus stood on a mountainside, His resurrected body bearing scars. He told eleven disciples: “Go. Make disciples. Baptize them.” The command linked belief with public action. Baptism became the visible line between death and resurrection life – not magic water, but a declaration etched in human stories. Quentin stepped into that water decades after his first baptism, choosing ownership over ritual. [03:18]

Baptism answers Christ’s call to go public. Peter preached to crowds at Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized.” The Ethiopian eunuch demanded water after hearing Philip. Jesus didn’t hide His crucifixion; why should we hide our allegiance? Submersion shouts, “I belong to Him,” while sprinkling doubters with invitation.

Many cling to private faith, fearing judgment or awkwardness. But silent disciples deny the world a testimony. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges Me before others…” – not perfection, but ownership. When did you last let water tell your story?

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
(Matthew 28:19, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one person who needs to hear your faith story this week.
Challenge: Write three names of people you’ll invite to your next baptism service.

Day 2: The Father Never Clocks Out

Jesus healed a paralyzed man on the Sabbath, sparking outrage. Religious leaders saw rule-breaking; Jesus saw His Father working. “My Father is always at work,” He said, dusting off their accusations. For thirty-eight years, the man waited by the pool. God hadn’t forgotten – He sent His Son. [47:25]

God operates outside human schedules. He parted the Red Sea at midnight, fed Elijah via ravens at dawn, and resurrected Jesus before sunrise. The psalmist declared, “He who watches over you will not slumber.” Functional deism creeps in when we assume God stopped moving after Scripture’s final page.

You check weather apps and news alerts, but when did you last check for God’s activity? He’s stirring marriages, healing addictions, and softening coworkers’ hearts. What if your “random” conversation today is His planned assignment? Where have you assumed silence instead of seeking His hand?

“My Father is always at work, and I too am working.”
(John 5:17, NIV)

Prayer: Confess areas where you’ve treated God as a distant CEO.
Challenge: Journal three “God-sightings” – moments you sensed Him working today.

Day 3: From Curbside to Water Tower

The Pickens Christmas parade looks different from the curb versus the water tower. On the ground, you see floats one by one. Above, you grasp the entire procession. God sees your life from the water tower – past, present, and future unfolding simultaneously. [01:07:26]

Psalm 121’s poet lifts his eyes from desert roads to mountain-peak God. Donkeys stumble; kings fall; exiles weep. Yet the Maker of heaven “watches over your coming and going.” Nebuchadnezzar learned this after seven years eating grass: God’s dominion outlasts empires and personal crises.

You’re tracking bills, deadlines, and doctor’s appointments. God’s tracking nations, sparrows, and the number of hairs on your head. What problem consumes you that He already holds in His palm? How would today change if you trusted His aerial view over your ground-level panic?

“The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.”
(Psalm 121:5-6, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three past situations where His perspective proved wiser than yours.
Challenge: Memorize Psalm 121:5-6. Recite it when anxiety arises today.

Day 4: Adjusting to the Mapmaker

Nehemiah surveyed Jerusalem’s crumbled walls under cover of night. God’s vision required rubble-moving, enemy-ignoring, and daily rebuilding. Romans 12 says, “Be transformed by renewing your mind” – not for abstract holiness, but to discern the Mapmaker’s next turn. [01:00:04]

Moses adjusted from shepherding sheep to leading millions. Fishermen became apostles. Saul became Paul. God’s will isn’t a treasure hunt; it’s daily surrender to the One who said, “Follow Me.” The rich young ruler refused adjustment, clutching money over Messiah.

You’ve prayed, “Show me Your will,” while white-knuckling your plans. What habit, relationship, or fear must release to follow Him today? What if obedience looks less like a five-year plan and more like saying “yes” to the next right step?

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
(Romans 12:2, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to highlight one adjustment He’s asking you to make this week.
Challenge: Physically rearrange one space (desk, room, schedule) to reflect spiritual openness to change.

Day 5: Scars and Open Doors

Thomas thrust his hand into Jesus’ side, the resurrected wound proof of love’s cost. Christ’s scars didn’t disappear; they became invitation. Every baptismal pool, soup kitchen, and mission trip echoes that scar – God works through surrendered people. [01:13:36]

The early church prayed for boldness, not safety. Ananias laid hands on Saul, the persecutor. Lydia opened her home to strangers. Calvary’s scars birthed a movement of risk-takers. Functional deism dies when we join God in Liberia, Calumet, or the break room.

Your story has scars – divorce, addiction, loss. What if God wants to repurpose that pain to point others toward healing? Who needs your “I once was lost” testimony today? When will you let your wounds become windows for His light?

“He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’”
(John 20:27, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to redeem one past hurt for His glory this month.
Challenge: Share a “scar story” with one person today, emphasizing Christ’s redemption.

Sermon Summary

We celebrate baptisms as public identification with Christ and as a visible step in the disciplemaking process laid out in Matthew 28. We baptize to declare alignment with Jesus death, burial, and resurrection and to challenge one another to both personal surrender and gospel conversation with those around us. We commit to a discipleship rhythm that moves from conversion to baptism to ongoing teaching and obedience. We will not reduce baptism to a ritual that saves; rather we will treat it as a covenantal marker that calls us into deeper faithfulness.

We are entering a season of focused discernment and prayer about next steps for our church, including a proposal to adopt Calumet as a second campus. We will walk that facility, pray over it, and seek God before any vote so we can decide with clarity and unity. We will aim to shift from a culture of accumulation to a sending culture where people go out to start ministry in nearby communities.

We will study Experiencing God over the next seven weeks to sharpen our ability to recognize and join God at work. The first foundational reality insists that God is already at work around us. We will raise our spiritual antenna and practice seeing God in scripture, prayer, circumstances, and the life of the church. We will replace narrow self-centered questions about God s will for our life with the question Where is God at work now? and then adjust our lives to join him.

We will confront the temptation to live as functional deists who believe in a distant creator but not in an intimate God who intervenes in daily life. We will choose trust over self-sufficiency and put God s perspective above our curbside viewpoint. We will seek the water tower view that sees the full parade of God s purposes. As we pursue relationship with God, we will experience ongoing invitations to participate in his work. We will practice faith and action when conviction requires change. The altar remains open for those who need to respond, whether by surrendering to Christ for the first time or by realigning daily rhythms to follow where God is already working.

Key Takeaways

1. God is already at work Seeing God as active changes our attention. We will train our hearts and minds to notice his movement in ordinary circumstances so we can join him rather than chase our own plans. We will practice asking Where is God at work here? and then step into the work with faith. [42:24]
2. God pursues personal relationship God initiates and sustains real intimacy that shapes our choices. We will stop treating God as distant and instead cultivate habits that let him lead day by day. Obedience will flow from knowing him not from duty. [45:08]
3. Reject living as functional deist Assuming God stays distant forces us into self-reliance and short sighted plans. We will confess this posture and choose trust, acknowledging that God cares about the details of our lives. That change opens us to his guidance and power. [47:47]
4. Join God in his work Where God moves, we will move with him. We will ask What is God doing now? then make the necessary adjustments in our schedules, priorities, and commitments to participate. Small steps of obedience will lead to knowing God by experience. [68:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:22] - Baptism as Public Identification
[33:39] - New Series Introduction
[35:32] - Calumet Campus Proposal Overview
[39:48] - Introducing Experiencing God
[41:35] - Seven Realities Overview
[42:24] - Reality One God at Work
[47:47] - Warning Against Functional Deism
[67:26] - Water Tower Perspective
[72:26] - Invitation and Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- John 5:17 (ESV): "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working.'"
- Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV): "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."
- Romans 12:1-2 (ESV): "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Observation Questions

According to John 5:17, how does Jesus describe God’s activity in the world?
What does Psalm 121:1-2 reveal about the source of our help and God’s involvement in daily life?
In the sermon, what does the term “functional deist” mean, and how does it contrast with biblical teaching about God’s nature? [47:47]
What practical steps were suggested in the sermon to shift from self-centered questions to asking, “Where is God at work?” [42:24]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus emphasizes God’s ongoing work in John 5:17, especially in the context of healing on the Sabbath?
How does the “water tower view” analogy (seeing God’s broader purposes) challenge our tendency to focus only on our “curbside” perspective? [01:07:26]
Romans 12:1-2 connects worship with discerning God’s will. How might living as a “functional deist” hinder this process?
The sermon warns against reducing baptism to a ritual. How does baptism instead serve as a “covenantal marker” in the disciple-making process? [02:22]

Application Questions

What distractions or habits might be dulling your ability to recognize God’s work in ordinary moments (e.g., conversations, challenges, or routines)? How could you “raise your spiritual antenna” this week? [42:24]
Where have you been living as a “functional deist”—relying on self-sufficiency instead of expecting God’s intimate involvement? Name one area (e.g., finances, relationships, fears) where you need to choose trust over control. [47:47]
The sermon challenges believers to ask, “What is God doing now?” rather than “What is God’s will for my life?” What specific adjustment (schedule, priority, or commitment) might God be inviting you to make to join His work? [01:08:27]
Baptism declares alignment with Jesus’ death and resurrection. How could you “challenge one another to gospel conversations” this week as a result of your public identification with Christ? [02:22]
The altar remained open for response. Is there a step of surrender—whether trusting Christ for the first time or realigning daily rhythms—that you need to take today? [01:12:26]

Sermon Clips

47s

#WaterTowerView

“``imagine for a moment if you could perch yourself on top of the water tower and watch the Christmas parade. Actually, that vantage point, instead of being limited on the curb and watching each thing come by one by one, instead of just seeing, you know, the cheerleaders walk by, seeing the Civitan group, seeing the the Shriners come by, seeing the band walk by. Literally, if you're on the water tower, you're actually watching the entire parade happening at the same time. You see everything from the cheerleaders to the big guy on the fire truck all at one time. The parade is actually in real time presence to you from beginning to end. I think that's how god sees the world. Which perspective would you trust better? The curbside or the water tower? Water tower all day.”

39s

#JoinGodsWork

“He's at work around us. He's at work in your neighborhood. He's at work in your workplace. He's at work in your school. He's at work in your family. He's at work in our church. He's at work among the nations. The question is not, is god working? The question is, will we join him in that in that work? He's not inactive. He's not distant. He's not waiting for the church to invent a mission. He's already at work around us. The gospel is advancing. The spirit is drawing people. Christ is building his church. The question is, what does Jesus want us to do next for our church? Where is he moving? Where is he moving right now? So that we can join him.”

38s

#GodSeesAllNow

“think about but the the last phrase of this is where we're many of us are pursuing. What is God's will? I want to know God's will. And basically, Paul is saying, listen, if you live your life in obedience and in relationship with god himself, that you will know god's will. You'll be living it out. You won't be pursuing it. You'll be walking in it day in and day out. You'd listen. You don't discover god's will by obsessing over yourself, okay? You you learn god's will by pursuing him. Our culture wants you just to stare at your belly button and think of yourself as the center of the universe and this is the reality.”

35s

#HitPauseAndReturn

“We are the blockbuster star. Think about how you view your life, that you are the main character, you're the blockbuster star, and everybody around you is a supporting cast. In fact, some people even think of God as kinda like being a good co star, okay? But but but this all said and done, it's it's more about me. The story that I'm living out is more about me, And I'm the center of this. I'm the center of the story. But really, really, the movie is produced, directed, and starred, blockbuster starred by the father, son, and holy spirit. It's actually Listen, God is the center of the story.”

Ask a question about this sermon

East Pickens This sermon · AI assistant

How does baptism function as public identification?

What distinguishes a functional deist from believer?

How should Christians discern and join God's work?