God's Pursuit: The Question of Our Location

Devotional

Day 1: God's Active Pursuit of Humanity

God's question to Adam, "Where are you?" reveals a profound truth about the nature of God and His relationship with humanity. Contrary to the common belief that humans are the ones searching for God, this question shows that God is actively seeking us, even when we attempt to hide from Him. This pursuit is not about physical location but about spiritual and relational positioning. It challenges the notion that God is distant and emphasizes His desire for a relationship with us. God's pursuit is a demonstration of His love and grace, inviting us to reflect on where we stand in relation to Him. [10:46]

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you been hiding from God, and how can you respond to His pursuit today?

Day 2: The Nature of Sin and Its Consequences

Sin is more than just an act of disobedience; it is a turning away from God that leads to a profound dislocation from ourselves, others, and God. The narrative in Genesis provides a unique explanation for the origin of sin and its pervasive impact on human life. This dislocation is evident in the way Adam and Eve attempt to hide from God, illustrating humanity's tendency to run from the Creator. Sin affects not only our actions but also our thinking, skewing our perception of reality and our understanding of God. Recognizing the nature of sin is crucial for understanding our need for divine intervention and restoration. [08:14]

"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21, ESV)

Reflection: How has sin affected your perception of reality and your relationship with God? What steps can you take to realign your thinking with His truth?

Day 3: Grace in the Midst of Judgment

God's approach to Adam and Eve after their sin is marked by grace. Instead of immediate judgment, He seeks to draw them out, illustrating His kindness and desire for reconciliation. This act of grace is a precursor to the ultimate expression of God's love through Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost. God's question, "Where are you?" is a demonstration of His grace, inviting us to confront our own evasions and excuses and to respond to His pursuing love. It challenges us to recognize our dislocation from God and to acknowledge our need for His grace and restoration. [12:41]

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." (Psalm 103:8, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to experience God's grace today? How can you extend that grace to others?

Day 4: Personal Reflection and Response

The question "Where are you?" is deeply personal, inviting us to examine our own lives and relationship with God. It challenges us to confront our evasions and excuses and to respond to God's pursuing love. This question is not just addressed to Adam but to each of us, calling us to acknowledge our need for God and His desire to restore us to Himself. In a world where many resist the notion of a Creator, this question invites us to reflect on our spiritual and relational positioning with God and to respond to His invitation for reconciliation. [16:19]

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!" (Psalm 139:23, ESV)

Reflection: What excuses have you been making in your relationship with God? How can you take a step towards Him today?

Day 5: The Impact of Sin on Human Reason

Sin affects not only our actions but also our thinking, skewing our perception of reality and our understanding of God. This impact on human reason highlights the need for divine intervention to restore our minds and hearts. The narrative in Genesis illustrates how sin leads to a dislocation from God, ourselves, and others, affecting our ability to reason and perceive truth. Recognizing the impact of sin on our reason is crucial for understanding our need for God's grace and restoration. It challenges us to seek His wisdom and guidance in our lives. [19:14]

"For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness.'" (1 Corinthians 3:19, ESV)

Reflection: How has sin affected your ability to reason and perceive truth? What steps can you take to seek God's wisdom and guidance in your life?

Sermon Summary

In Genesis chapter 3, we encounter a profound moment where God asks Adam, "Where are you?" This question, though seemingly simple, is loaded with significance and speaks to the heart of humanity's relationship with God. It is the first of seven questions we will explore, and it sets the stage for understanding the human condition and God's response to it.

The context of this question is the fall of man, where Adam and Eve, having disobeyed God, attempt to hide from Him. This act of hiding is emblematic of humanity's tendency to run from God, seeking to explain life and reality while excluding the Creator. This narrative in Genesis provides a unique explanation for the origin of sin and misery in the world, a theme that resonates throughout human history.

God's question, "Where are you?" is unusual because it challenges the common notion that humans are searching for God while He remains hidden. Instead, it reveals that God is actively seeking us, even when we are hiding from Him. This question is not about geographical location but about spiritual and relational positioning. It invites us to reflect on where we stand in relation to God.

Moreover, this question is a demonstration of God's grace. Despite Adam and Eve's disobedience, God approaches them with kindness, not condemnation. He seeks to draw them out rather than drive them away, illustrating His desire for reconciliation. This is a precursor to the ultimate expression of God's grace through Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost.

Finally, the question is deeply personal and unavoidable. It is addressed not only to Adam but to each of us. It challenges us to confront our own evasions and excuses, to recognize our dislocation from God, and to respond to His pursuing love. In a world where many resist the notion of a Creator, this question calls us to acknowledge our need for God and His desire to restore us to Himself.

Key Takeaways

1. God's Pursuit of Humanity: The question "Where are you?" reveals that God is actively seeking us, even when we hide from Him. It challenges the notion that God is distant and emphasizes His desire for a relationship with us. [10:46]
2. The Nature of Sin: Sin is not just an act of disobedience but a turning away from God, leading to dislocation from ourselves, others, and God. This narrative in Genesis explains the origin of sin and its pervasive impact on human life. [08:14]
3. Grace in the Midst of Judgment: God's approach to Adam and Eve after their sin is marked by grace. Instead of immediate judgment, He seeks to draw them out, illustrating His kindness and desire for reconciliation. [12:41]
4. Personal Reflection: The question "Where are you?" is deeply personal, inviting us to examine our own lives and relationship with God. It challenges us to confront our evasions and excuses and to respond to God's pursuing love. [16:19]
5. The Impact of Sin on Reason: Sin affects not only our actions but also our thinking. It skews our perception of reality and our understanding of God, highlighting the need for divine intervention to restore our minds and hearts. [19:14]
** [19:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:08] - Introduction to the Seven Questions
[01:20] - Reading from Genesis 3
[02:18] - The Origin of Hide and Seek
[03:03] - The Context of Genesis 3
[04:34] - God's Question: "Where Are You?"
[05:29] - Humanity's Flight from God
[06:47] - Suppression of Truth
[07:47] - Consequences of Disobedience
[09:48] - The Unusual Nature of God's Question
[12:15] - The Kindness of God's Question
[16:19] - The Personal Nature of God's Question
[18:41] - The Impact of Sin on Human Reason
[19:49] - God's Desire for Relationship
[21:31] - Conclusion: A Seeking and Saving God

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Genesis 3:8-10
- Romans 1:18-20

Observation Questions:

What was Adam and Eve's immediate reaction upon hearing God in the garden, and what does this reveal about their state of mind? [01:33]
How does the sermon describe the common human tendency to hide from God, and what examples are given to illustrate this behavior? [05:29]
According to the sermon, what is unusual about God's question, "Where are you?" and how does it challenge common perceptions of the divine-human relationship? [10:03]

Interpretation Questions:

In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's question to Adam is more than just a geographical inquiry? How does this question invite deeper reflection on one's spiritual state? [11:40]
How does the sermon explain the concept of grace in the context of God's interaction with Adam and Eve after their disobedience? What does this reveal about God's character? [12:15]
The sermon mentions that sin affects human reasoning and perception. How does this impact one's understanding of God and reality according to the sermon? [19:14]

Application Questions:

Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you feel you are hiding from God? What steps can you take to come out of hiding and face God honestly? [05:29]
The sermon emphasizes God's pursuit of humanity despite our tendency to run away. How can you become more aware of God's presence and pursuit in your daily life? [10:46]
Consider the ways in which sin might be affecting your reasoning or perception of reality. How can you seek God's help to restore your mind and heart? [19:14]
God's question "Where are you?" is deeply personal. How can you create space in your life to regularly reflect on your spiritual and relational positioning with God? [16:19]
The sermon highlights God's grace and kindness in His approach to Adam and Eve. How can you extend grace and kindness to others in your life, especially those who may have wronged you? [12:15]
In what ways can you actively seek reconciliation in relationships where there has been dislocation or distance, mirroring God's desire for reconciliation with humanity? [12:41]
How can you cultivate a deeper understanding of God's grace in your life, and how might this understanding transform your interactions with others? [13:41]

Sermon Clips

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'" [00:01:24]

"The context at least the wide context in which our question comes this evening here in these opening chapters of Genesis is a context which makes a statement concerning how our world is tonight. In fact, it makes a unique statement, giving an account of why it is that the world is as it is." [00:03:05]

"Adam here in Genesis 3 is blazing a trail away from God. He's attempting to solve the story of life to give an explanation to reality while at the same time turning his back on the God who has made him leaving God completely out of the picture." [00:05:35]

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. It's not simply that they don't understand the truth; it is that they suppress the truth. What may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them." [00:06:41]

"Man quickly becomes dislocated, dislocated from his environment, dislocated from himself, dislocated from his spouse, and as it turns out, dislocated from his children, thus posing the question for any thoughtful person how is it ever possible that somebody could be put in the position of such pristine beauty and such wonderful opportunity and make a hash of it so quickly and so detrimentally." [00:07:52]

"That somehow or another God has taken the telephone off the hook if he exists, he is not returning calls, he cannot be reached, that he is hiding somewhere in the universe, and there must be a mechanism whereby we can go and discover him. What the Bible is actually saying here is the total reverse of that, that we are the ones who are hiding from God, and God is the one who comes asking of us the question, 'Where are you?'" [00:10:16]

"When God asks questions in the Bible, it's usually in order to provide information to those he is addressing so that in actual fact by posing this question he's asking Adam and Eve to face up to where they really are. Where are you? He wants Adam to discover where he is." [00:11:07]

"God didn't need to ask a question. God could have reacted in many different ways. If he'd reacted strictly in justice, he could have brought about the sentence of death that he had promised instantaneously immediately and wrap the whole thing up for them, but he comes with a question to draw them out rather than to drive them out." [00:12:26]

"God does not give to men and women what they justly deserve but on the basis of his immense kindness grants to men and women what we don't deserve, and no more so when in the incarnation he comes in the person of his son the Lord Jesus Christ and he is the word made flesh." [00:13:41]

"Why is it that so many phenomenally intelligent people flat out resist the Bible? Why is it that you we find ourselves saying again again why do people not understand or get this because sin has affected the way in which they think. We tend to think that somehow or another our ability to rationalize things our ability to think things out takes place if you like in some island that is unaffected by the moral impact of sin, and it isn't the case." [00:19:26]

"The question where are you is a question which makes clear to the reader the fact that God is a God who chooses to reveal himself not hide himself and makes clear to the reader that God is a God who is very interested in establishing a relationship with those whom he has made even though those whom he has made have turned defiantly against him." [00:19:48]

"He is a seeking God, a saving God, a revealing God, a relationship creating God, a God who speaks down the corridors of time to you and me tonight with an unusual, kind, personal question, 'Where are you?'" [00:21:31]

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God's Pursuit: The Question of Our Location

Devotional

Day 1: God's Active Pursuit of Humanity

Day 2: The Nature of Sin and Its Consequences

Day 3: Grace in the Midst of Judgment

Day 4: Personal Reflection and Response

Day 5: The Impact of Sin on Human Reason

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

God's Pursuit: The Question of Our Location

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