“When You See God Face to Face”

Exodus 3:1-6
Isaiah 6:1-8

“When You See God Face to Face”

John Huffman in his book, “Who’s In Charge Here?” tells about Robert Dick Wilson, a great professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.  One of Dr. Wilson’s students had been invited back to preach in Miller Chapel, 12 years after his graduation.

Old Dr. Wilson came in and sat down near the front.   At the close of the sermon, the old professor came up to his former student, cocked his head to one side in his characteristic way, extended his hand, and said, “If you come back again, I will not come to hear you preach.  I only come once.  I am glad that you are a big-godder.  When my boys come back, I come to see if they are big-godders or little-godders, and then I know what their ministry will be.”

His former student was puzzled and asked him to explain, and he replied:  “Well, some men have a little god, and they are always in trouble with Him.  He can’t do any miracles.  He can’t take care of the inspiration and transmission of the Scripture to us.  He doesn’t intervene on behalf of His people.  They have a little god, and I call them little-godders.

Then there are those who have a great God.  He speaks and it is done.  He commands and it stands fast.  He knows how to show Himself strong on behalf of those who fear Him.  You have a great God; and He will bless your ministry.”   He paused a moment and smiled, and said, “God bless you,” and turned, and walked out.  What kind of God will you see, when you see God face to face?  “When You See God Face to Face”  Let us pray…

I believe in a great God.  And I make no apologies for being a big-godder.  God created not only the world and our solar system, He created the universe even down to the smallest creature within it.  Yet God is Holy, sacred, set apart from all creation.  God is not the same as creation or co-terminus with it.  God has existed before us and will exist after the last star winks out in the furthest corners of the universe.  And God is not merely a concept or an idea.  He is a personal God.  And God has an unique, unimaginable glory that is immutable.

God’s glory is much more than some glow from a thinly painted halo or a bright light.  God’s glory is actually a way to describe the sum effect of all His eternal attributes: love, grace, truth, goodness, righteousness, mercy, justice, knowledge, power, and eternal existence.  The glory of God is intrinsic to His person.  That is, it is as essential to God as light is to the sun, as blue is to the sky, as wet is to water.  The glory that is God’s is His essence – you can’t take it away – we can only choose to honor it or not.  (Click on “When You See God Face to Face” to see the rest of the message).