Seek God and Live in Heaven
An all-creatures Bible Message

Seek God and Live in Heaven
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
28 February 2016
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Psalm 63:1-8
Isaiah 55:1-9

Seek God and live in heaven, or seek the devil and the earthly ways of those who follow him and die without God.
 
We aren’t talking about casually seeking God as one would seek a program on television; for to truly seek God, we must really believe and be totally committed to follow the teachings of Jesus, and our Father’s heavenly will.
 
The writer of Psalm 63:1-8 desired to seek God and live; let’s follow along with what he wrote.

1. O God, Thou art my God;
I shall seek Thee earnestly;
My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

We hope we all see how earnestly this person is seeking God; it’s not a casual thing; it’s a total commitment.

2. Thus I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary,
To see Thy power and Thy glory.

The only way we can see God in His sanctuary with all His power and glory is to use our heavenly spiritual vision.
 
Once we have learned to do this, we see the evidence of His presence here on earth, but if we are still seeking worldly things, we will not be able to fully see His presence.
 
As we said, we can either have God or the devil, but we cannot have both.
 
The ways of the world continue to corrupt creation with all its pain, suffering, and death; but if we seek God and His heavenly will, we understand that we, as children of God, are called upon to help free creation from its present corruption, which brings horrible suffering and death upon millions of human beings and billions of animals every year.

3. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise Thee.
 
4. So I will bless Thee as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

We should all feel this way, for this is what happens when we truly seek God in all His glory.
 
This isn’t just something we do in our churches; this is something that should be evident in our everyday lives.
 
And evidence isn’t just saying the words, “Praise the Lord!” or raising our hands, for everything we say and do gives evidence of a life dedicated to the Lord and His heavenly will.
 
If we don’t raise or eat any animals, or wear their skins and fur, we are a witness to those around us that we are trying to free creation from its present corruption, unlike most of the people in the world who continue to contribute to the corruption of creation.
 
And the more we do this, even our speech changes and we no longer use animal parts to describe things as the psalmist unfortunately continues to do.

5. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.

We think and say, “My soul is satisfied as a child of God living in the presence and will of our heavenly Father.”

6. When I remember Thee on my bed,
I meditate on Thee in the night watches,
 
7. For Thou hast been my help,
And in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy.
 
8. My soul clings to Thee;
Thy right hand upholds me.
NASB

This is the way of all the people who seek God and live in heaven, spiritually, even though we still live physically here on earth.
 
So if this is the way we want to be, then we all need to help restore Eden to what God created it to be, a physical representation of His heavenly will.
 
This is the evidence of our true praise of God.
 
Let’s now take a look at Isaiah 55:1-9…

1. "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.

Isaiah is not writing about real water; he is referring to drinking freely of God’s heavenly will, or to put it in the context of our discussion, Isaiah is encouraging the people to seek God.
 
We only wish that Isaiah didn’t use the reference to buying wine and milk without cost, for it is obvious that he is not referring to earthly wine or milk.

2. "Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.

The reference to what is not bread is obvious that he is encouraging people to seek the spiritual food of heaven which will satisfy both our body and soul.
 
We can never truly be satisfied with what is earthly…but what is spiritual will satisfy us for all eternity.
 
This is how we seek God and live in heaven for all eternity.

3. "Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

The Lord is encouraging us to listen to Him and come to Him that we may live, or to put it another way, we are to seek God and live.

4. "Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
A leader and commander for the peoples.
 
5. "Behold, you will call a nation you do not know,
And a nation which knows you not will run to you,
Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you."

This is the result of our Godly witness before the world around us as peacemaking children of God, who live in the heavenly will of God and do everything in their power to help free creation from its present corruption.

6. Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.

Isaiah is telling us all that there will come a time when it will be too late to seek God; so now is the time to repent and seek the Lord.

7. Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
 
8. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

God’s thoughts are not like the thoughts of people who live in this corrupt world and follow the ungodly and evil ways of this world.
 
If we are going to truly seek God, we must first turn away from the worldly ways that cause so much pain, suffering, and death to millions of humans and billions of animals every year.
 
We must live in God’s heavenly will.

9. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
NASB

But, if we are truly peacemaking children of God, then we know that God’s heavenly ways are higher and greater than worldly ways, and we will be able to have many of God’s thoughts.
 
This is what Paul refers to as having the mind of Christ.
 
This is what happens to all who truly seek God and live in heaven.
 
Each and every one of us needs to be one of these people.
 
Seek God and live in heaven.
 
Amen.

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