Standing on the Shore of God (Romans 11:33-36)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.480 If you're able to remain standing, please do and let's hear God's word from 2 00:00:04.519 --> 00:00:11.949 Romans, Romans, chapter eleven, versus thirty three, through thirty six, 3 00:00:12.029 --> 00:00:26.940 Romans Eleven, verse thirty three. Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom 4 00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:33.859 and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments, how inscrutable his ways? 5 00:00:35.100 --> 00:00:37.890 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been 6 00:00:37.969 --> 00:00:44.090 his counselor who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid for? 7 00:00:44.409 --> 00:00:51.960 From him and through him and to him are all things? To him 8 00:00:52.079 --> 00:01:03.469 be the glory forever. Amen, please be seated. It was somewhat tempting 9 00:01:03.510 --> 00:01:11.189 to procrastinate preparing this sermon because when you read these words, how unsearchable are 10 00:01:11.230 --> 00:01:19.180 his judgments, how inscrutable are his ways, initially begin thinking that is going 11 00:01:19.219 --> 00:01:23.900 to be somewhat difficult to prepare a sermon. How can I bring before you 12 00:01:25.219 --> 00:01:29.939 the mind of the Lord when it is uns Urchabal? How can I talk 13 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:34.689 to you and reveal the results of my reflections on the being of God when 14 00:01:34.689 --> 00:01:41.409 he is unsearchable? Where do you begin thinking about these kinds of things? 15 00:01:42.329 --> 00:01:47.840 But I'll remind you, even as I had to remind myself that what we're 16 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:53.760 given here is not the infinite depth of God's riches and knowledge, but the 17 00:01:53.920 --> 00:02:00.510 truth of the depth of the riches of God's knowledge we are Hivin and in 18 00:02:00.590 --> 00:02:07.109 addition to that, we are given a degree of experience with them, participation 19 00:02:07.109 --> 00:02:13.750 in them. Maybe I can illustrate it in this way. Growing up in 20 00:02:13.789 --> 00:02:15.819 Arizona, I never made it to the beach until I was, I think, 21 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:21.259 in high school. Was the first time I saw the ocean. It 22 00:02:21.379 --> 00:02:25.740 was a youth group trip to California, and this thing that you read about 23 00:02:25.860 --> 00:02:35.169 in books and you hear about in stories was more exhilarating and salty and cold 24 00:02:35.210 --> 00:02:42.490 and frightening than I could have ever imagined. The sound of the waves, 25 00:02:42.930 --> 00:02:47.879 the power of the undertow pulling even just a few feed in to the water. 26 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:53.479 It was easy to be very excited and and even a little bit scared. 27 00:02:54.159 --> 00:03:00.469 And as you're standing there on the shore, you're thinking too about how 28 00:03:00.870 --> 00:03:05.909 big it is. You can't see its end and you also know from all 29 00:03:05.990 --> 00:03:10.110 the things that you've read that underneath those waters you might be able to see 30 00:03:10.110 --> 00:03:15.060 a thing of seaweed passed by or some rocks, but you know that there 31 00:03:15.099 --> 00:03:24.180 are depths that you can only imagine, animals that you have never seen, 32 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:32.370 mountain ranges, volcanoes, entire worlds. And so you're standing there on the 33 00:03:32.449 --> 00:03:38.250 ocean and you have this experience of the ocean in a sense, and yet 34 00:03:38.289 --> 00:03:46.960 in another sense it's entirely something else. Our experience with the riches of God's 35 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:53.080 wisdom and knowledge is something like that. We hear of their depth, we 36 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.789 experience it a little bit. that a sense of power, it's wonder, 37 00:03:55.870 --> 00:04:01.150 it's goodness, it's beauty is God reveals them these things to us, but 38 00:04:01.349 --> 00:04:08.789 this limited experience only confirms how far or how much. We don't know how 39 00:04:09.189 --> 00:04:14.460 far down it goes, how deep it really is. So while we know 40 00:04:14.659 --> 00:04:17.819 in part the wisdom and knowledge of God and we know that it is rich 41 00:04:17.860 --> 00:04:23.819 indeed, at the same time it is unsearchable, it is unknowable, it 42 00:04:23.980 --> 00:04:29.930 is something you can't really grasp. Now God, of course, grasps these 43 00:04:30.009 --> 00:04:33.810 things, not only the ocean and everything in it, but even himself. 44 00:04:35.089 --> 00:04:40.720 He knows all his ways, he knows himself in a way that we can 45 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:46.199 never know him. What great things there must be in God that we will 46 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:53.990 never know, what awesome possibilities and powers that are even beyond our imagination. 47 00:04:57.269 --> 00:05:00.870 And so, when we think about this, it's really impossible to explore these 48 00:05:00.949 --> 00:05:09.740 in any kind of complete way, much more impossible to master them and to 49 00:05:09.899 --> 00:05:14.939 act. As Paul suggests, that we might be God's counselor verse Thirty Four. 50 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:17.500 Who has known the mind of the Lord Er? Who has been his 51 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:23.889 counselor but the truth of these things, the truth of the nature of God, 52 00:05:24.529 --> 00:05:29.129 are in a way made very plain to us. Though we can't search 53 00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:33.209 the infinite depths of God, yet we know that it is true that he 54 00:05:33.370 --> 00:05:38.680 is infinitely deep, though deep, oh, the depth of the riches and 55 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:44.879 wisdom and knowledge of God. And so this morning, for the good of 56 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:49.790 our souls and for the praise and glory of God, let's give our attention 57 00:05:50.029 --> 00:06:01.069 to him. Let's spend some time beholding God. First, the depth of 58 00:06:01.189 --> 00:06:10.939 God's riches. The depth of God's riches refers to his inexhaustible wealth and resources. 59 00:06:12.060 --> 00:06:15.500 Perhaps the easiest way to understand this is to compare the wealth of God, 60 00:06:15.699 --> 00:06:20.569 the riches of God, to human wealth. You can imagine. Try 61 00:06:20.689 --> 00:06:26.050 to think of the person, the wealthiest person you know, the richest person 62 00:06:26.769 --> 00:06:30.730 you know. This is someone who can probably cover any expense, any bill 63 00:06:30.889 --> 00:06:34.319 that comes up. A car repair, they could buy a new car, 64 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:39.399 nothing's a big deal. If they need to buy a house, they buy 65 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:45.480 a house. There are resources that are constantly available, and yet even the 66 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:48.509 richest person that I can imagine, the richest person that you can imagine, 67 00:06:48.949 --> 00:06:55.829 still has limits. As much as they have available to them, there is 68 00:06:55.910 --> 00:06:59.670 still an end to it. There's a number at the bottom that can be 69 00:07:00.069 --> 00:07:03.379 counted, it can be tallied. Not so with God, because he owns 70 00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:15.620 everything. Everything. It's hard to even wrap your mind around that. Psalm 71 00:07:15.730 --> 00:07:20.730 for the de tend says every beast of the forest is mine. The cattle 72 00:07:20.889 --> 00:07:28.490 on a thousand hills is mine. Between US humans we partition them off. 73 00:07:28.649 --> 00:07:31.560 We say these cattle with these brands are mine, and these cattle over here 74 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:38.199 with these brands are mine, and God says all the cattle with brands and 75 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:46.990 with no brands, they're all mine. Hagu I to eight, the silver 76 00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:50.829 is mine and the Gold is mine, says the Lord. Psalm twenty four 77 00:07:50.949 --> 00:07:57.550 one. The Earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof the world and 78 00:07:57.790 --> 00:08:03.139 they that dwell therein and not just material things but immaterial things as well, 79 00:08:03.819 --> 00:08:13.730 eekyl eighteen, for behold, all souls are mine. This is why we 80 00:08:13.889 --> 00:08:18.769 pray to God for our daily bread. He owns it, it's his, 81 00:08:18.329 --> 00:08:24.569 it's his to give, it's his to share. God, this is why 82 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:28.399 we pray for our souls. They're his, and we a would ask that 83 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:37.519 he would save us, bless US and comfort us. God's wealth, his 84 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:43.350 riches, his reeses, sources are inexhaustible. When we think about that, 85 00:08:43.509 --> 00:08:48.830 there are a thousand ways to apply this to our own heart. I'll ask 86 00:08:48.909 --> 00:08:54.629 you do that homework. Think about how how it is that the depth of 87 00:08:54.750 --> 00:09:01.539 God's riches and that thought, that truth, needs to apply to your own 88 00:09:01.659 --> 00:09:07.259 life. Are there ways in which you're selling him short? Are there ways 89 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:13.370 in which you don't quite think he has all that? Or is that capable? 90 00:09:15.009 --> 00:09:22.250 We all do and something worth meditating on. Well, Paul not only 91 00:09:22.289 --> 00:09:24.480 speaks about the depth of the riches of God, but also the wisdom. 92 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:31.639 God's wisdom refers to his understanding of all things, how he connects the means 93 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:37.480 to the ends. My favorite example of this, you know it's my favorite 94 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:43.070 because I've shared it with you before, but is the butterfly effect. For 95 00:09:43.230 --> 00:09:45.950 you, science fiction fans, you know what this is about. This is 96 00:09:46.470 --> 00:09:50.029 time travel. Right. When you travel back in time, you don't want 97 00:09:50.070 --> 00:09:56.580 a step on a butterfly. Why? Because, as we know from science 98 00:09:56.620 --> 00:10:03.340 fiction, when you affect one little thing in the past, it has repercussions, 99 00:10:03.379 --> 00:10:07.169 and science fiction writers have a lot of fun with this. A person 100 00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:11.889 goes back in time to save their spouse from death, but along the way 101 00:10:11.049 --> 00:10:16.009 they, you know, brush a stranger right and and bump into them. 102 00:10:16.409 --> 00:10:20.730 But that has an effect because the stranger was on their way somewhere and they 103 00:10:20.730 --> 00:10:22.320 didn't quite make it in time, and then that has an effect and that 104 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:28.759 has an effect. The point that these artists like to explore, if we 105 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:35.320 can call them that, is that the world is connected. There are causes 106 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:39.509 and defects. One thing leads to another. As I was writing this up 107 00:10:39.590 --> 00:10:46.269 and thinking about this portion of my sermon, daisy are cat walked into the 108 00:10:46.350 --> 00:10:50.019 study and now I'm telling you about it. That wouldn't have happened if she 109 00:10:50.100 --> 00:10:54.820 hadn't walked in. There are causes and effects for all of these things. 110 00:10:54.860 --> 00:11:01.980 It's amazing and mind boggling when we consider how interconnected and how totally uncontrol of 111 00:11:03.100 --> 00:11:07.210 any of that we really are. We try really hard to do the best 112 00:11:07.250 --> 00:11:11.769 things so that but other things can happen, but there's so many things that 113 00:11:11.809 --> 00:11:16.049 are outside of our control. And yet there's the Lord God, according to 114 00:11:16.090 --> 00:11:24.799 the depths of his wisdom, saying things like and a virgin shall conceive and 115 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:30.720 then, all this time later, she does. We just went through a 116 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:35.029 large portion of Romans where he's talking about God's intimate plans with the Jews and 117 00:11:35.149 --> 00:11:39.350 the gentiles and all of the these things that he's doing throughout history to bind 118 00:11:39.350 --> 00:11:46.149 them up all together for this perfect plan of salvation. How would you even 119 00:11:46.269 --> 00:11:50.899 begin to do something like that? How would you even plan for it? 120 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:54.539 How many pieces of paper on your dining room table would it take to plan 121 00:11:54.779 --> 00:12:01.169 for the salvation of the choose in the gentiles? Can you imagine? Not 122 00:12:01.370 --> 00:12:05.409 to mention it's not just a plan that God comes up with, a perfect 123 00:12:05.409 --> 00:12:13.129 plan where means and ends are all wisely and perfectly fitted together, but he 124 00:12:13.250 --> 00:12:20.759 executes it. He executes it with this marvelous perfection, having control over the 125 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:28.320 past and the present and the future, not being bound by time. We 126 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:33.389 can marvel at the depth of his wisdom when we consider the very shallow pool 127 00:12:33.149 --> 00:12:41.029 of our own. You think about people that work, parents, for example, 128 00:12:41.190 --> 00:12:46.259 who try a million different things to get so and so to clear their 129 00:12:46.299 --> 00:12:50.740 spot at the table or clean their room or stop doing such and such a 130 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:56.740 thing. They just can't figure it out. Dorothy Parker, writer, says 131 00:12:56.980 --> 00:13:03.289 I can't write five words, but that I change seven. The revision process 132 00:13:03.409 --> 00:13:07.809 is a big part of writing. Over and over and over and over again, 133 00:13:07.690 --> 00:13:11.649 graphic designers create revised trash. Create revised trash, focus group it, 134 00:13:11.769 --> 00:13:18.159 create revised this is our lives. We're constantly, constantly trying to make it 135 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:24.720 work, and God just does it well, the depths of the wisdom of 136 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:33.909 God. Now consider God's inexhaustible knowledge. If God's wisdom is his perfect ability 137 00:13:35.070 --> 00:13:41.820 to decide, plan and act in a way that's not partial or reactive or 138 00:13:41.019 --> 00:13:46.580 carried out or bound by time, consider his knowledge. His knowledge is similar. 139 00:13:48.940 --> 00:13:52.539 It's like our knowledge and that it is aware and understands things. But 140 00:13:52.740 --> 00:14:01.049 unlike our knowledge, God's knowledge is completely comprehensive and holy true. Moreover, 141 00:14:01.210 --> 00:14:07.330 God knows not only what is but also what is possible. He knows what 142 00:14:07.850 --> 00:14:13.080 was and what will be, and it extends beyond creation itself, that is 143 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:22.039 to say. God knows himself. God knows his holy will down to the 144 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:28.990 most tiniest of details. So that means what? While you couldn't find your 145 00:14:28.029 --> 00:14:35.149 keys this morning, God knew the exact location of every single humming bird on 146 00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:45.059 the entire planet for all of history. When you and I can't remember why, 147 00:14:45.179 --> 00:14:48.740 we decided to buy this particular cell phone, God knows every single word 148 00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:56.850 and conversation and almost word and half formed thought that went out over that phone. 149 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:07.639 Every hidden thing is known to God. But let's keep it very personal 150 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:18.559 here. God's word from Psalm one hundred and thirty nine. Oh Lord, 151 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:24.870 you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and 152 00:15:26.029 --> 00:15:31.990 when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar, you search out 153 00:15:31.029 --> 00:15:37.059 my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before 154 00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:43.460 a word is on my tongue. Behold, oh Lord, you know it 155 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:48.059 all together. You had me in behind and before, and lay your hand 156 00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:54.490 upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. 157 00:15:56.850 --> 00:16:11.320 I cannot attain it. When David beholds the knowledge of God and sees how 158 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:18.080 far it goes, how deep it goes, he says it's too wonderful for 159 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:23.029 him. It's too much, it's too grand. It's like the Israelites when 160 00:16:23.029 --> 00:16:29.070 the glory of the Lord Shone on Moses's face and they looked away. They 161 00:16:29.429 --> 00:16:33.620 said, cover it up, Moses. David here looks at the glory of 162 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:38.460 God in his knowledge and says this is too wonderful for me, it is 163 00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:49.610 too high, I cannot attain it. When you hear words like these, 164 00:16:49.850 --> 00:16:56.889 when you behold the god of the universe, consider him any the depth of 165 00:16:56.090 --> 00:17:02.679 his riches and the depth of his wisdom, in the depth of his knowledge, 166 00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:11.519 I ask You, do these words comfort you or do they terrify you? 167 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:18.390 To know that the Lord God who made you knows every single thought of 168 00:17:18.509 --> 00:17:22.750 yours, to know that he discerns them from afar, that he knows the 169 00:17:22.869 --> 00:17:27.309 words you speak before they're on your tongue, that he sees every action, 170 00:17:29.230 --> 00:17:37.380 sitting down, rising up and everything in between. Does that terrify you or 171 00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:47.089 does it comfort you? God is not like a sunset that you can look 172 00:17:47.130 --> 00:17:52.450 at and say wow, that's amazing and remains somewhat distance from you. Can 173 00:17:52.690 --> 00:18:00.079 behold a sunset, but the sunset never beholds you. The sunset never looks 174 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:08.279 back and says, I know you. God does, though. When we 175 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:15.230 behold the all GNAWLIGIBLE, all wise, all powerful God and know who he 176 00:18:15.470 --> 00:18:22.549 is, we also know that he knows us. The David's not terrified. 177 00:18:23.710 --> 00:18:27.299 As you go on and read the Psalm, he talks in most intimate and 178 00:18:27.460 --> 00:18:33.779 wonderful ways. I'll read a little more to you. For you formed my 179 00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:38.099 inward parts. You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, 180 00:18:38.220 --> 00:18:42.730 for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My 181 00:18:42.970 --> 00:18:48.690 soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I 182 00:18:48.809 --> 00:18:52.890 was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 183 00:18:52.970 --> 00:18:57.920 Your eyes saw my unformed substance. In your book were written every one of 184 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:03.000 them. The days were formed for me as when, as yet, there 185 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:06.960 was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts? Oh God, 186 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:10.349 how vast is the sum of them? If I would count them, 187 00:19:10.390 --> 00:19:14.750 they are more than the sand. I awake and I am still with you. 188 00:19:17.509 --> 00:19:25.180 David is humbled, he is comforted, but I know for some of 189 00:19:25.259 --> 00:19:30.940 you that to be known means to be discovered. To be known is to 190 00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:41.250 be exposed to be known is to be embarrassed and shamed. To be known 191 00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:47.289 by God means that there's no more hiding, there's no more pretending. To 192 00:19:47.410 --> 00:19:52.009 be known by God means that he's seeing you and that has he has found 193 00:19:52.170 --> 00:19:57.880 you and has brought you very low. The all powerful, all wise, 194 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:06.559 all knowing God can be very terrifying. Why is David not terrified? Why 195 00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:15.349 is he humbled and filled with awe and yet also comforted? Why is it 196 00:20:15.509 --> 00:20:19.109 for David that to be known is to be loved, to be seen, 197 00:20:19.470 --> 00:20:26.380 to be cherished, to be cared for? The truth is is that God 198 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:33.900 relates to people in both ways. It's not like I'm presenting before you two 199 00:20:33.900 --> 00:20:37.769 versions of God, one version of God versus another version of God. God 200 00:20:38.009 --> 00:20:44.009 does both those things. God looks at us in a way that discovers and 201 00:20:44.130 --> 00:20:48.170 exposes and shames, and God also looks at some and it's hot. It's 202 00:20:48.809 --> 00:20:53.640 a loving, a cherishing look. What makes the difference and how can you 203 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:59.960 find God's love and avoid is wrath? How can you find comfort in being 204 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:07.950 known and not terror? The answer and the difference lies with the one whom 205 00:21:08.069 --> 00:21:14.029 Paul has been writing about throughout the book of Romans, the difference lies in 206 00:21:14.150 --> 00:21:22.099 Jesus Christ, because in Jesus God has made the riches, the depth of 207 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:27.099 his riches and wisdom and knowledge known. He is given to us a cup 208 00:21:27.259 --> 00:21:33.849 from this ocean which is enough to quench our thirst forever and ever. He 209 00:21:34.089 --> 00:21:41.609 offers us a way in Jesus out from shame and embarrassment and wrath into the 210 00:21:41.769 --> 00:21:49.400 joys and love of eternal life. Now, I can't explain to you why 211 00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:56.319 God has done that. I can't say why he has taken some of us 212 00:21:56.440 --> 00:22:03.750 and who are dirty and shameful and exposed, and has clothed us with the 213 00:22:03.829 --> 00:22:11.190 righteousness of Jesus and has lifted us up into the highest of places. Why 214 00:22:11.269 --> 00:22:15.900 God has seen fit to offer US mercy and tenderness and comfort when we only 215 00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:22.819 deserve hatred and brokenness. But though I can't explain it and search it out 216 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:27.579 and dissect it and master it, I can preach it. And there it 217 00:22:27.819 --> 00:22:34.450 is, nevertheless, God's grace, fully on display, fully given to you, 218 00:22:37.890 --> 00:22:41.769 his son, dying on a cross to bear up all of our sins, 219 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:48.480 God's son raising from the dead to give us victory, a new life, 220 00:22:49.640 --> 00:22:55.119 God's spirit, that we might be joined to him and his love for 221 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:02.269 all eternity. We're all sinners together, broken and deserving of his wrath, 222 00:23:02.750 --> 00:23:07.390 deserving to have this all wise, all powerful, all knowing God come down 223 00:23:07.470 --> 00:23:15.420 on us like a ton of bricks or mountains or worse. But won't you 224 00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:23.180 join me in believing in the son whom the father has sent? Because he 225 00:23:23.259 --> 00:23:29.369 has sent him, he has given us all of these things, all of 226 00:23:29.569 --> 00:23:36.369 these deep things, in love. God has come to us in and of 227 00:23:36.490 --> 00:23:41.119 himself, not a different God, not a less powerful God, a majestic, 228 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:45.920 Almighty, all glorious God, but in Jesus, he comes to us 229 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:52.200 in love. It's not as though the wisdom and knowledge and riches of God 230 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:59.509 are only expressed in his terror or in his terrifying power and judgment. All 231 00:23:59.670 --> 00:24:04.470 of them are equally expressed in the grace and power of his love. You 232 00:24:04.509 --> 00:24:10.059 remember how Paul started out Romans. The Gospel is the power of God, 233 00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:18.980 und salvation for all who believe. So again I ask, won't you join 234 00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:27.730 me in believing? Believing in the inestimable, inexhaustible riches of the wisdom and 235 00:24:27.890 --> 00:24:33.890 knowledge of God, not that we might control him, but that we might 236 00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:41.200 enjoy him and glorify him forever. Let us pray