MY SHIP IS SO SMALL

#1 · March 31, 2008, 8:40 am

Quote from Forum Archives on March 31, 2008, 8:40 am
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
MY SHIP IS SO SMALL

March 30, 2008

Text: Job 38:1-18

There is a prayer known as the Breton Fisherman's Prayer which goes simply: Protect me, my Lord. My boat is so small, and your ocean so big. As one who has ridden upon the waves of oceans many times and under the waves of oceans more than a few times, too I can attest to that prayer. Even vessels that are hundreds of times larger than fishing boats become quite small in the vastness of an ocean. And when the waves of that ocean become whipped up into gales and storms, then every ship and boat gets smaller yet. It is an awesome sight to look out from the ship during the day and see nothing but the vastness of water and sky, and to stare into the heaven at night and see a never-ending parade of stars. Placed alongside the vastness of the universe, my ship, indeed, is quite small.

Over the past few Sunday evenings, and for several more, we are viewing the video series by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek that is based upon their book, I Dont Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. When Dan, Norm, and I attended the conference last year at which these men spoke, and now during the video of their conference, I experience a particular sensation. Early in their discussion, they address the starting point of the universe. They do not do this through Bible study; they do it by discussing discoveries in science that lead researchers to believe that the universe has a beginning. They do this to support their premise that a created thing has a creator.

Upon establishing that the prevalent scientific evidence points to a universe that had a specific point and time of creation, they give further evidence of the work of a creator by offering many examples of the design found throughout the universe. Keep in mind that these two men are countering theories that would have us believe that the universe and everything in it happened through chaotic chance. Everything that we now know, according to such theories, is the result of some massive trial and error sequence of events.

What Geisler and Turek demonstrate is that there is design, not chaos, evident throughout the universe. They write in their book that there are more than 100 very narrowly defined constants that strongly point to an intelligent Designer. (Norman Geisler & Frank Turek, I Dont Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004, p. 105) Constants are given facts in science. The acceleration due to gravity on the earth is 32 feet per second squared. The speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second. Constants like these are factual because they can be observed and measured and their values do not change. What does this mean? Here are a few of the things this means: (1) If the centrifugal force of planetary movements did not precisely balance the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun. (2) If the universe had expanded at a rate one millionth more slowly than it did, expansion would have stopped, and the universe would have collapsed on itself before any stars had formed. If it had expanded faster, then no galaxies would have formed (5) If Jupiter were not in its current orbit, the earth would be bombarded with space material. Jupiters gravitational field acts as a cosmic vacuum cleaner, attracting asteroids and comets that might otherwise strike earth (7) If the rotation of the earth took longer than twenty-four hours, temperature differences would be too great between night and day. If the rotation period were shorter, atmospheric wind velocities would be too great. (Geisler and Turek, p. 105) If just one of these constants, or one of about ninety-six others was even minutely altered, human life on this world would not be sustainable. Does it sound like we got here through chaotic chance or because we were placed here by an intelligent Designer?

Anyway, as I have heard Doctors Geisler and Turek talk about this twice now, the sensation I experience is that of insignificance. Actually, it is a sensation of puniness. In contrast to this overwhelming universe and its orderly design and its obviously overwhelmingly powerful Creator, who am I? I am lost in all this. My ship is so very small, and it keeps getting smaller.

In spite of this intelligent, powerful, orderly Creator who is God, we, the created, still attempt to usurp and overturn His will. We arrogantly attempt to replace His knowledge with ours. It will never work, but we try. I read from Job 38 to draw out this very point. Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said, Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Then God launches into a series of questions that are rhetorical because there is only one available answer to them all. I wont go through the entire list again, but look closely at verses 16-18: Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. Oh Lord, my ship is so small, and your ocean is so big.

Job had some big problems and some big questions for God. Job experienced suffering through no fault of his own. Job is not the only person with questions for God. When I read the book of Job, I have questions for God. In fact, reading any book of the Bible raises a few questions for me. Questioning God is not necessarily sin. It depends what the intent of our questions are. When our questions lead to a better understanding of Gods will and how we can better follow Him, then questions are fruitful blessings. When our questions are merely meant as challenges to Gods authority, then questions are stumbling blocks. How many times does God have to give an answer before we actually believe Him and take Him at His word?

Sure, there are things I want to know. We have been studying Revelation in Bible study for some time now. Really bad things are going to happen before the second coming of Christ occurs. Why cant we just skip all those trials, tribulations, and persecutions and jump right into the new heaven and new earth? Since God created the universe and everything in it, why did He create it with the need for sacrificial atonement? Why not just create everything and everyone to just obediently follow Him without the need of sacrifice? Since everything is going to end up according to His will, why not just start it out that way and leave it that way instead of having to deal with rebellion and disobedience and sinfulness? These are questions I have when I consider the amazing miracle of creation. I have a feeling, though, that the preface to any answer God might give to my questions would go something like this: Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Yes, Lord, I know. I have a small ship.

One of the many truths the Bible makes clear is that I do not have to have complete or perfect knowledge in order to obey. Dont get me wrong. Knowledge is a vital part of humanity, and knowledge does help us make better decisions. But complete knowledge is not a prerequisite to obedience. Since I have been using nautical illustrations this morning, I will continue with another. As the officer of the deck of a submarine underway, I would give operational orders to my watchstanders. The direction and speed and depth of the submarine were directed by me when I was on watch. But those orders did not originate with me. They came from my Commanding Officer. I was simply following his orders. As a member of ships company, I was usually aware of our operations and, consequently, the orders I was given and, in turn, gave made sense to us. On any given moment, though, my Commanding officer could come into the control room and say, Officer of the Deck! Change course to one-eight-zero degrees, speed ten knots, and depth three hundred feet. Now what do you suppose my response should be? How about, Uh, Captain. What do you want to do that for? Things are going well like they are. Dont mess it up. Or this, Well, Captain. Ill be happy to comply if youll tell me what this is all about. Those of you who have experienced or know about military life are well aware of what I could expect if I gave responses like that. Being on the receiving end of the wrath of ones Commanding Officer is not a pleasant experience. The only correct response, in nautical terminology, is Aye, aye, Sir! which is then followed up by actually doing it. I need no other knowledge in order to obey. Simple concept, really.

My illustration is of course limited. My Commanding Officers were men like everyone else. It is legitimate to ask oneself if they are trustworthy. They are, after all, not perfect. On the other hand, God is, by definition, trustworthy. God has demonstrated Himself to be trustworthy. God is the source of truth. No one can get more trustworthy than that. So wondering whether or not God is trustworthy is not even part of the equation. Obeying God is always in order, even when we do not completely understand the reason for the instruction. You see, we may not always understand the reason for everything that happens, but God does. Once more from Geisler and Turek: If there were more seismic activity, much more life would be lost; if there was less, nutrients on the ocean floors and in river runoff would not be cycled back to the continents through tectonic uplift. (Yes, even earthquakes are necessary to sustain life as we know it!) (Geisler & Turek, p. 106)

The good news is that even when I get the sensation of insignificance and puniness in the presence of the almighty, all-powerful Creator of the universe and everything in it, I can always remember last Sunday. When I feel lost in the vastness of the universe, I can always remember last Sunday. On those days when my ship is so small and getting smaller, I can always remember last Sunday. Last Sunday was Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. It is this event that seals the promise God made to his people. The Creator of the universe and everything in it is not an impersonal, unknowable force. He is my personal Savior. He has made himself known to me and to each one of you. God has revealed Himself through His Word and through the testimony of believers. This is as mind-boggling to me as trying to contemplate how God created the universe and everything in it. At the same time, it brings me immeasurable comfort. It brings me salvation.

God wants you to accept His invitation to have a personal relationship with Him. The Creator of the universe and everything in it wants us to know Him personally because He knows us personally. God is so powerful that He can know us personally and restore us into fellowship with Him.

I have been using ABC for a while to teach how this reconciling relationship can come about. A - Admit to God that you are a sinner and repent, meaning turn away from sin. B - Believe that Jesus is Gods Son and accept Gods gift of forgiveness and removal of sin. C - Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. If you need to take this step of faith, or if you need to renew your commitment to serving the Lord, take advantage of this opportunity to join me at the altar as we sing our invitation hymn.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

MY SHIP IS SO SMALL

March 30, 2008

Text: Job 38:1-18

There is a prayer known as the Breton Fisherman's Prayer which goes simply: Protect me, my Lord. My boat is so small, and your ocean so big. As one who has ridden upon the waves of oceans many times and under the waves of oceans more than a few times, too I can attest to that prayer. Even vessels that are hundreds of times larger than fishing boats become quite small in the vastness of an ocean. And when the waves of that ocean become whipped up into gales and storms, then every ship and boat gets smaller yet. It is an awesome sight to look out from the ship during the day and see nothing but the vastness of water and sky, and to stare into the heaven at night and see a never-ending parade of stars. Placed alongside the vastness of the universe, my ship, indeed, is quite small.

Over the past few Sunday evenings, and for several more, we are viewing the video series by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek that is based upon their book, I Dont Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. When Dan, Norm, and I attended the conference last year at which these men spoke, and now during the video of their conference, I experience a particular sensation. Early in their discussion, they address the starting point of the universe. They do not do this through Bible study; they do it by discussing discoveries in science that lead researchers to believe that the universe has a beginning. They do this to support their premise that a created thing has a creator.

Upon establishing that the prevalent scientific evidence points to a universe that had a specific point and time of creation, they give further evidence of the work of a creator by offering many examples of the design found throughout the universe. Keep in mind that these two men are countering theories that would have us believe that the universe and everything in it happened through chaotic chance. Everything that we now know, according to such theories, is the result of some massive trial and error sequence of events.

What Geisler and Turek demonstrate is that there is design, not chaos, evident throughout the universe. They write in their book that there are more than 100 very narrowly defined constants that strongly point to an intelligent Designer. (Norman Geisler & Frank Turek, I Dont Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004, p. 105) Constants are given facts in science. The acceleration due to gravity on the earth is 32 feet per second squared. The speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second. Constants like these are factual because they can be observed and measured and their values do not change. What does this mean? Here are a few of the things this means: (1) If the centrifugal force of planetary movements did not precisely balance the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun. (2) If the universe had expanded at a rate one millionth more slowly than it did, expansion would have stopped, and the universe would have collapsed on itself before any stars had formed. If it had expanded faster, then no galaxies would have formed (5) If Jupiter were not in its current orbit, the earth would be bombarded with space material. Jupiters gravitational field acts as a cosmic vacuum cleaner, attracting asteroids and comets that might otherwise strike earth (7) If the rotation of the earth took longer than twenty-four hours, temperature differences would be too great between night and day. If the rotation period were shorter, atmospheric wind velocities would be too great. (Geisler and Turek, p. 105) If just one of these constants, or one of about ninety-six others was even minutely altered, human life on this world would not be sustainable. Does it sound like we got here through chaotic chance or because we were placed here by an intelligent Designer?

Anyway, as I have heard Doctors Geisler and Turek talk about this twice now, the sensation I experience is that of insignificance. Actually, it is a sensation of puniness. In contrast to this overwhelming universe and its orderly design and its obviously overwhelmingly powerful Creator, who am I? I am lost in all this. My ship is so very small, and it keeps getting smaller.

In spite of this intelligent, powerful, orderly Creator who is God, we, the created, still attempt to usurp and overturn His will. We arrogantly attempt to replace His knowledge with ours. It will never work, but we try. I read from Job 38 to draw out this very point. Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said, Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Then God launches into a series of questions that are rhetorical because there is only one available answer to them all. I wont go through the entire list again, but look closely at verses 16-18: Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. Oh Lord, my ship is so small, and your ocean is so big.

Job had some big problems and some big questions for God. Job experienced suffering through no fault of his own. Job is not the only person with questions for God. When I read the book of Job, I have questions for God. In fact, reading any book of the Bible raises a few questions for me. Questioning God is not necessarily sin. It depends what the intent of our questions are. When our questions lead to a better understanding of Gods will and how we can better follow Him, then questions are fruitful blessings. When our questions are merely meant as challenges to Gods authority, then questions are stumbling blocks. How many times does God have to give an answer before we actually believe Him and take Him at His word?

Sure, there are things I want to know. We have been studying Revelation in Bible study for some time now. Really bad things are going to happen before the second coming of Christ occurs. Why cant we just skip all those trials, tribulations, and persecutions and jump right into the new heaven and new earth? Since God created the universe and everything in it, why did He create it with the need for sacrificial atonement? Why not just create everything and everyone to just obediently follow Him without the need of sacrifice? Since everything is going to end up according to His will, why not just start it out that way and leave it that way instead of having to deal with rebellion and disobedience and sinfulness? These are questions I have when I consider the amazing miracle of creation. I have a feeling, though, that the preface to any answer God might give to my questions would go something like this: Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Yes, Lord, I know. I have a small ship.

One of the many truths the Bible makes clear is that I do not have to have complete or perfect knowledge in order to obey. Dont get me wrong. Knowledge is a vital part of humanity, and knowledge does help us make better decisions. But complete knowledge is not a prerequisite to obedience. Since I have been using nautical illustrations this morning, I will continue with another. As the officer of the deck of a submarine underway, I would give operational orders to my watchstanders. The direction and speed and depth of the submarine were directed by me when I was on watch. But those orders did not originate with me. They came from my Commanding Officer. I was simply following his orders. As a member of ships company, I was usually aware of our operations and, consequently, the orders I was given and, in turn, gave made sense to us. On any given moment, though, my Commanding officer could come into the control room and say, Officer of the Deck! Change course to one-eight-zero degrees, speed ten knots, and depth three hundred feet. Now what do you suppose my response should be? How about, Uh, Captain. What do you want to do that for? Things are going well like they are. Dont mess it up. Or this, Well, Captain. Ill be happy to comply if youll tell me what this is all about. Those of you who have experienced or know about military life are well aware of what I could expect if I gave responses like that. Being on the receiving end of the wrath of ones Commanding Officer is not a pleasant experience. The only correct response, in nautical terminology, is Aye, aye, Sir! which is then followed up by actually doing it. I need no other knowledge in order to obey. Simple concept, really.

My illustration is of course limited. My Commanding Officers were men like everyone else. It is legitimate to ask oneself if they are trustworthy. They are, after all, not perfect. On the other hand, God is, by definition, trustworthy. God has demonstrated Himself to be trustworthy. God is the source of truth. No one can get more trustworthy than that. So wondering whether or not God is trustworthy is not even part of the equation. Obeying God is always in order, even when we do not completely understand the reason for the instruction. You see, we may not always understand the reason for everything that happens, but God does. Once more from Geisler and Turek: If there were more seismic activity, much more life would be lost; if there was less, nutrients on the ocean floors and in river runoff would not be cycled back to the continents through tectonic uplift. (Yes, even earthquakes are necessary to sustain life as we know it!) (Geisler & Turek, p. 106)

The good news is that even when I get the sensation of insignificance and puniness in the presence of the almighty, all-powerful Creator of the universe and everything in it, I can always remember last Sunday. When I feel lost in the vastness of the universe, I can always remember last Sunday. On those days when my ship is so small and getting smaller, I can always remember last Sunday. Last Sunday was Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. It is this event that seals the promise God made to his people. The Creator of the universe and everything in it is not an impersonal, unknowable force. He is my personal Savior. He has made himself known to me and to each one of you. God has revealed Himself through His Word and through the testimony of believers. This is as mind-boggling to me as trying to contemplate how God created the universe and everything in it. At the same time, it brings me immeasurable comfort. It brings me salvation.

God wants you to accept His invitation to have a personal relationship with Him. The Creator of the universe and everything in it wants us to know Him personally because He knows us personally. God is so powerful that He can know us personally and restore us into fellowship with Him.

I have been using ABC for a while to teach how this reconciling relationship can come about. A - Admit to God that you are a sinner and repent, meaning turn away from sin. B - Believe that Jesus is Gods Son and accept Gods gift of forgiveness and removal of sin. C - Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. If you need to take this step of faith, or if you need to renew your commitment to serving the Lord, take advantage of this opportunity to join me at the altar as we sing our invitation hymn.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org