Seeking the Transcendent: A Journey Beyond the Imminent
Summary
In this sermon, I explored the concept of the Transcendent and the Imminent, and how these two concepts relate to our spiritual journey. I discussed how we often focus on the Imminent, the worldly things that are immediately before us, and in doing so, we often miss the mark and feel a sense of displacement. I suggested that this feeling of displacement often leads us to search for fulfillment in worldly things, rather than seeking a dialogue with the Transcendent, or God. I also introduced the idea that our lives are full of little choices that can either draw us closer to God or push us further away.
In the second part of the sermon, I delved into the book of Isaiah, specifically chapter 56, and how it relates to the concepts of the Transcendent and the Imminent. I explained that Isaiah is a prophetic book that covers an extensive period of time and is broken up into three parts. The first part contains prophetic warnings for Israel, the second part offers words of comfort while the Israelites were in exile, and the third part is about the Israelites returning from exile. I emphasized that God is calling us to lift our heads high, to take our eyes off the Imminent and engage in a dialogue with the Transcendent.
Key Takeaways:
- The feeling of displacement we often experience is a call to seek a dialogue with the Transcendent, or God, rather than seeking fulfillment in worldly things ([22:43]).
- Our lives are full of little choices that can either draw us closer to God or push us further away. These choices are often influenced by whether we focus on the Imminent or the Transcendent ([24:16]).
- The book of Isaiah, specifically chapter 56, provides a roadmap for how we can shift our focus from the Imminent to the Transcendent ([25:04]).
- Prayer is a key way to engage in a dialogue with the Transcendent. It involves both speaking and listening, and is a relational aspect of knowing God ([30:48]).
- God invites everyone into a relationship with Him, even those who we might think are living in ways that are not right ([32:51]).
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Isaiah 56 - #!!25:04!!#
Observation Questions:
1. What is the context of Isaiah 56 and how does it relate to the Israelites' return from Babylonian captivity?
2. How does Isaiah 56 reflect the idea of displacement and discomfort mentioned in the sermon?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Isaiah 56 illustrate the concept of making small choices every day in our journey towards God?
2. How does the passage reflect the idea of God extending an invitation to us and how we respond to it?
Application Questions:
1. Can you identify a recent situation where you felt displaced or uncomfortable and sought worldly things instead of turning to God? How could you have responded differently?
2. What is one small choice you can make this week to draw nearer to God in your daily life?
3. Can you think of a time when you felt God extending an invitation to you? How did you respond and what was the outcome?
4. How can you apply the lessons from Isaiah 56 to your current life situation?
5. How can you better respond to God's invitation in your life moving forward?
Devotional
Day 1: Marked as Christ's Own Forever
In the journey of faith, we are marked as Christ's own forever. This is not a mere symbol, but a profound spiritual reality that defines our identity and purpose. God thought about us before the beginning of creation and has a unique plan for each of us. As we walk in His way, we respond to the divine call placed upon us ([09:59]).
Isaiah 43:1 - "But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.'"
Reflection: Reflect on your identity as one marked by Christ. How does this understanding shape your daily decisions and interactions?
Day 2: The Power of Prayer
Prayer is a dialogue with the divine, a means of drawing near to God. It involves listening as much as speaking and is deeply relational. Through prayer, we can experience the transformational power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and walk in the power, purpose, and presence of the Living God ([31:31]).
James 5:16 - "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
Reflection: How can you deepen your prayer life to draw nearer to God? What might you need to change or prioritize?
Day 3: Eternity in Our Hearts
God has placed eternity in our hearts, provoking us into a relationship with the divine. This sense of displacement and longing for something more is a call to seek God, to look beyond the imminent and engage with the transcendent ([30:48]).
Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
Reflection: How does the sense of eternity in your heart influence your perspective on life and your relationship with God?
Day 4: The Little Choices
Our lives are full of little choices that shape our relationship with God. When God extends the invitation, how we respond matters. These choices can either draw us closer to God or lead us away from Him ([24:16]).
Deuteronomy 30:19 - "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."
Reflection: Reflect on the little choices you make daily. How can you make choices that draw you closer to God?
Day 5: Returning to God
Like the Israelites returning from exile, we are called into a new relationship with God. This involves everyone, even those who may have caused us pain. God invites us into a dialogue, into a relationship, and it's our choice how we respond ([25:44]).
Jeremiah 29:14 - "I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
Reflection: How can you respond to God's invitation to return to Him? What might need to change in your life for this to happen?
Quotes
1. "This is what the Lord says: maintain Justice and do what is right for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord and to worship Him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and hold fast to my Covenant, these I will bring to my Holy Mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer." - 00:11
2. "Loving father, we just give you praise and thanks for Annalisa, this beautiful daughter of yours who you thought about before the beginning of creation and for whom Lord you have a purpose and a plan. Lord together your church comes to receive her but Lord to pray for her that through every day of her life that she might walk in your way and be responding to the call that you place upon her." - 09:29
3. "Instead of doing that looking to the heavens and beginning to think about having a dialogue with the Transcendent and how that might change the way we live our lives or things happening around us, we often choose to do it our way instead of God's way. Now the good news of the Bible that is that even in that broken State God continues to draw us. The Transcendent Divine God calls us and invites us into a dialogue into a relationship." - 22:08
4. "For Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to reach the moon there was a lot of work that had to be done, a lot of calculations needed to be made to get there. And can you imagine if on the earth there was just a slight miscalculation, a slight deviation on the Earth by the time you get to 384 000 kilometers that tiny little incremental problem becomes a big Chasm. I wonder what kind of difference small choices would make in Eternity for us whether we choose to pray or fast or be obedient to the things God is calling us to in terms of where we land." - 34:12
5. "Almighty and loving God, we just give you thanks today for Annalisa and for will and for alethea and for the whole family to be present with us and to have this wonderful joyful experience of baptism. And Lord we're reminded of our own baptism vows, the choices that were made sometimes for us and sometimes for ourselves but nonetheless each one of us is on a journey, a pilgrimage of life and Lord we know that you invite us deeper and closer." - 34:12
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