OUR IGNORANCE SHOWS!

I. Ignorance in the sense of being unaware or lacking in knowledge

A. After becoming a Christian, it was my attitude that God was going to improve me

1. I would be a better person and would keep getting better all the time

2. It was my idea that God should channel some love in my heart, and give me some faith and power

3. After getting these things from God, I would certainly improve

B. I had to learn that self improvement is an impossibility

1. That comes asa real shock-l am not getting better every day in every way

2. Allow me to share the testimony of Norman Grubb

II. My sense of inadequacy sent me to the Bible

A. The answer began to emerge as I read I John 4:7- 9

1. Specifically the phrase 'God is love'

2. The word IS stuck out

3. It dawned on me like this - it doesn't say God has love, but God IS love

B. If someone has a thing, it isn't the person himself

1. It is something attached to him, like a coat or something in his pocket

2. You have it and you can share it

3. But the Bible doesn't say 'God has love' is says "God IS love."

C. Love, therefore, is not a thing I have, love is exclusively a Person, not a thing

1. Love is a characteristic of one person only-God

2. Grubb says, "...that was a deflation for me. I had thought I could have it imparted to me and I would then be more loving."

3. God cannot give love away apart from giving Himself

4. God is love, therefore love is God loving.

III. I Began to Relate this to my Need for Power

A. In I Cor. 1:24 it states "_Christ is the power of God..."

1. It doesn't say Christ has the power, but He IS the power

2. I always thought power was something which was given to me, as a result I would be a powerful servant of Jesus

3. Now I discover that power also is a person

4. That person is not I, but exclusively Jesus Christ

B. Then I came to the one thing every Christian claims to have

1. Every believer accepts the fact they have eternal life

2. By that we think of life going on forever with God in heaven

3. But Scripture gives us a much deeper insight (I John 5;1 1-12)

4. This Scripture makes it clear that eternal life is not something I can ever have. Jesus did not say, "I have the life to give away to you" but "I am the life." He who has Jesus has the life.

5. Once again something I thought I had - eternal life - is found only in one person, the Lord Jesus

IV. Where do I Fit in All of This?

A. Col. 3:11 speaking of believers in Christ says that Christ is all and in all

1. Christ is all - not has all

2. If Christ is all, what's left for me? Not much according to my mathematics

B. I had always thought was somebody and had something to give

1. I found that without Him, I can do nothing

2. Christ is all and in all

C. When we see this, other things become clear

1. The reason for the existence of the entire creation is to contain the Creator

2. We are not to be something, but to contain someone

D. We humans regard our human self or ego as something important

1. Our idea of its importance is wrong, there is only one self in the universe that said "I AM"

2. We are told at the end of history God will be all and in all

3. God all and in all - then what's left?

V. Final Thoughts

A. The Scripture says that when Christ ascended it was far above all the heavens - that He might fill all things

1. If He fills all things, all things are containers of Him

2. God can manifest His beauties though flowers, trees and sunsets

3. But He can only manifest His personality through a Person like Him

4. No wonder He made man in the image of God

5. Once we realize we are containers to manifest Him, we have found the key to the meaning of life.

Ref: John 5: 21, 26 ---- John 5: 39-40 ---- John 14: 6, 20 ---- John 17: 21-23, 26

Vessels -- Treasure in earthy vessels.