When God Shows Up

When God Shows Up

A couple of years ago, I did a sermon series entitled “Encountering Jesus.” I loved that topic because it focused on people who encountered Jesus while He walked this earth—and who walked away changed. Yet even then, I felt that the series didn’t tell the whole story about encountering God.

The Bible is filled with accounts of people who cried out to God because they had a need: the 10 lepers, the woman with the issue of blood, the paralytic, Nicodemus. Each of them came to Jesus seeking help. And while those encounters teach us something powerful, there is another side to the story that is just as important.

There are roughly 100 occasions in Scripture where God initiates an encounter with someone. In the Bible, when someone calls out to God, we learn something about man’s heart. But when God shows up on His own initiative, we learn something about Him. In fact, by examining those moments when God breaks into human history, we can assemble a remarkably beautiful portrait of who God is—and what He wants us to know about Himself.

So starting Monday morning, we’re going to take a journey down that road. Together, we’ll examine what God reveals about Himself when He is the One who shows up.

Cleopas and his friend were simply walking along the road to Emmaus when God came walking alongside them. Gideon was hiding in a cellar when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. Moses was tending Jethro’s herds when he saw a burning bush calling out his name.

What is God telling us about Himself in each of those moments? What did the disciples on the road to Emmaus learn about who God is? And what is Luke telling us—by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—that was so important that it needed to be written down in Scripture for you and me to read and learn from today?

I’ve narrowed the list to 40 of these divine encounters. It’s going to take some time to walk through them, but when we are done, I believe we’ll come away with a fuller, deeper understanding of who this God is—and what He desires from us.

Are you ready?

Buckle in, because you’re going to like this one. I’m excited already.

See you on Monday!