Exodus 33:17-19 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
We are always searching for the secrets. We want to know what the underlying truth is to the great, supernatural happenings in the world. We want to understand what triggers the power of God to spring into action.
1. We acknowledge and celebrate certain acts of God.
By “acts of God” we mean that man had no role in an occurrence. (e.g.Floods, Tornadoes, Earthquakes)
We also attribute miracles and revival, etc. to acts of God.
- Lazarus; centurion’s son
- Outpouring of the Holy Ghost
We see God operating out of his sovereignty, independent of man.
We see God aloof, remote, unresponsive, detached.
2. Yet, beginning with man’s creation, God has not acted unilaterally.
Acts of man have precipitated acts of God.
- -Fall of man: covering and exile
- -Murder of Abel: mark and exile of Cain
- -Noah’s: Found Grace and was saved
- -Man’s continual evil: Flood
Judgment is more than a pronouncement; it is also a process whereby God discerns one thing good and another thing evil.. Exod 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
God blesses the righteous works of man.
2 Chr 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Question: How and why does God have such a unique relationship with man?
Psalm 8:1-9 1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
3. The greatest illustration of God’s omnipotence lies in His restraint.
- -His willingness to form man out of dust rather than speaking the Word.
- -He binds himself to the history of mankind. (Interested in earth, not Mars)
- -His inclusion of grace as an antidote to His judgment.
- -His condescension from Glory to earth; from God to man.
- -His refusal to know certain things such as the time of his coming.
- -His selective healing. (Pool of Siloam; Nazereth)
4. The great question, then, is why?
For what purpose does God refuse to act unilaterally? Why does he restrain his divinity?
Because He wants to include man in His plans!
- God is not satisfied with king>subject; boss>worker relationship.
- He wants us as friend, confidante; espoused wife; companion; sharer.
- Therefore, God wants to enfold his own acts into the acts of man.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
5. God binds himself to any man who will enter into this special relationship with Him.
- -Adam: Power to name
- -Abraham: Power to pray
- -Moses: Power to triumph
- -Elijah: Power to perform the supernatural
6. Does God really enfold His mighty acts within the acts of man?
Peter in prison: Prayer meeting at the house of the mother of John Mark.
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
7. God acts depend on man’s prayer.
- We must not think that man’s prayers are unheeded by God.
- Just because we see God’s works without seeing man’s prayer, or we see man’s prayer without seeing God’s works does not mean that there is no connection between the two.
2 Chr 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
8. The Acts of God are enfolded within the Acts of Man!
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,