Sermons

Seeking God: The First Step Toward Change

Written by Ed Allen
 Sunday, October 28, 2007 03:40

iMorph - Transformations

Sermon Outline

This year, if you miss anything else, don’t miss this: Spiritual change is inevitable. It is God’s desire that your spiritual change be in the right direction.

Isaiah 55:6-13

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD's renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”

What it means to seek the Lord

  • To seek the Lord is to pray (v.6)
  • To seek the Lord means to give up habits that offend God (v.7)
    • Your desire for control is particularly offensive to God.
    • Any attention to religious superstition, the occult, or astrology is offensive to God.
    • Any ongoing sin is offensive to God.
  • To seek the Lord is to give up thought patterns that strain your relationship with God (v.7)
  • To seek the Lord means to ask for and to trust His guidance.
  • To seek the Lord means to turn to God for deliverance from His own anger.

What are the benefits of seeking the Lord?

  • When you seek God you find mercy (v.7b)
  • When you seek God you find forgiveness (v.7b)
  • Until you seek God your ways and thoughts are not aligned with His (v.8)

Is there real hope of finding Him?

  • God may be found (v.6a)
  • God is near! (v.6b)
  • When God speaks, His purposes are accomplished. (vv.10-11)

The outline for this lesson is taken from a sermon entitled "The Great Invitation: A High Way for Low Sinners" by John Piper. See www.soundofgrace.com for Dr. Piper’s sermons.

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