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We attribute a lot of things to God. Righteous, holy, mercy, grace, love… on and on. But do we ever attribute FUN to God?
We declare that God is a God of Fun. To prove this we look to creation. God created fun, and he created us to experience fun.
Our perception is our reality. If we perceive that God doesn’t intend us to have fun, then that will be our reality. Let’s change our perception and thereby change our reality.
Do you believe in a God of Fun?
God of Fun 1: First off (Creation) from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
God of Fun 1 – First Off (creation)
Welcome to the 1st week in our new series, God of Fun. This is an important series. We have an important message for you. The God of the Bible is the God of Fun.
We attribute a lot of things to God, but usually not fun.
God is righteous, true, just, creator, light, love, peace, victory, healing, forgiving, merciful, full of grace… This list can go on and on. You have heard sermon after sermon about these truths about God, but rarely has the church declared that our God is the God of Fun.
In this series we are going to declare the God of fun. We are going to declare the God of happiness, blessing, and joy. We are going to declare that God’s people should be happy people who are filled with laughter.
This is an important and often overlooked truth. I want you to make plans to be here for this series.
There have been many sermons preached in churches that used this phrase…
“God wants you to be Holy, not happy.”
And while it is absolutely true that God wants and even requires holiness, this teaching implies that God does not desire you to be happy. This teaching implies that you can’t be happy & holy. It implies that happiness may be sin.
I had a pastor’s wife named Shirley Stover. She used to say in jest, “If it tastes good I can’t eat it.” She was on a diet and that diet and it seemed to her that if it tasted good, it was probably fried or coated in sugar… so she can’t have it.
Was this true? Are all the tasty foods unhealthy? Do all healthy foods taste terrible? Of course this isn’t true, but your perception can become your reality.
Your perception is your reality
If you never had a pizza before, but you heard that it was gross it would give you the perception that Pizza was gross. Then when you were offered the opportunity to experience a slice of Pizza for the first time, you may turn it down because your perception then becomes your reality.
Wouldn’t it be sad to let a false perception be your reality?
Wouldn’t it be sad to live in a false reality where pizza is gross? Because I love Pizza so much I would try to save you from such a terrible perception.
In fact, Marshal, isn’t there a new Pizza restaurant across the street? Is it called Marco’s Pizza? Could you call them? I think I want to order some Pizza. Would anyone care for a slice of pizza?
If you have the perception that Pizza is gross, I would like to change that today. If I can change your perception, I can change your reality.
Christians need to change our perception about some things. Redemption Church there may be some false perceptions in our minds and hearts.
If it’s fun I can’t do it.
Being wealthy/successful in business is a sin for a Christian.
If you are struggling it means God is mad at you.
Christians should only listen to choirs singing from hymnals.
If it feels good DON’T do it!
There are more things we can’t do than things we can do.
Look out for false perceptions. They become your reality.
An unhappy Christian is living within a false reality, that stems from a false perception.
Over the next weeks we will be coming back to this very important idea.
If you believe that God is not fun… you have a false perception.
You don’t think being a Christian is fun… you have a false perception.
If you equate sin to fun but holiness to boring… you have a false perception.
Let’s change our perceptions. Let’s change our reality.
I want to present to you today the God of Fun… and pizza.
First off (literally) – Creation
To really get a glimpse of the God of Fun we need to start at the beginning.
Genesis 1:1 (NIV2011) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
We have a creator God. He is creative.
Genesis 1:2 (NIV2011) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
The earth was formless, empty, and dark, but then the creator brought light. Doesn’t that sound like more fun? He didn’t stop there.
Creation is fun
The planet Earth with oceans & land, the Sun, the moon, stars and other planets, creatures in the water, creatures in the sky, creatures on the land – God created these and they are fun.
You could travel for the rest of your life and not see everything the Earth has to offer. Does that sound fun?
You could stare into the sky forever through the Hubble telescope and build a spaceship to explore the space but you could not even come close to experiencing 1% of what the universe has to offer or unlocking the countless mysteries. Countless adventure.
There are creatures in the sea, on land, and in the air that we have not yet discovered.
The creator gave us the Giraffe. What a wildly fun animal. The Zebra, the Octopus, the hummingbird, the starfish. the whale, the duck-billed platypus, the penguin, the chimpanzee, the hippo…
The Fluitt family went to the Fort Worth Zoo earlier this year. The Animals were soo much fun. Even at the zoo where all the animals are in one place for you to see at your leisure, we were not able to see all the animals in a single day. The God off fun created all these things.
I was there with my young children trying to get them to experience all these new creatures, but myself, at the age of 37 was still experiencing brand new fun.
I took my kids to see the hippos. The Hippos were in the water with there eyes just above the water. I told the Hippos “get out of the water Hippos so my sons can see how huge you are.” And this one Hippo started to move, and sure enough it crawled out of the water and on the dry land. “WOW look at that Hippo.”
The Hippo kept walking and I started to wonder what the Hippo was going to do. I bet it is going to scratch it’s side on that tree… no. Maybe it is going to get some Hippo chow over there… no. Is the Hippo going to rest over there by that wall? …no.
I got as close as I could to try to figure out what this Hippo was going to do… when all of a sudden this 2 and a half ton Hippo started to… defecate. And as the Hippo did it’s business it’s tale began to swing back and forth like a windshield wiper and Hippo feces started flying everywhere. It was duck and cover time trying to avoid flying fecal matter.
Your Pastor was almost hit with Hippo poop. I don’t care who you are, that is pretty funny.
Life is filled with funny adventures like that every day.
Creation is fun
God created all these things.
And who did He create all this for?
US
He created it all for mankind. He even invited Adam to name all the animals.
Don’t you think God had FUN creating all of this for us?
He created it for us and then He created us to enjoy it.
Do you realize that God designed us specifically to have fun?
God created the senses.
God created all these fun things and then he gave you senses to enjoy them.
- Eyes to see the beauty of creation.
Psalm 19:1 (NIV2011) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Your eyes are what see God’s handiwork.
- A nose to smell.
Noses are strange and amazing. God created your nose and there is nothing like the smell of good food like a steak… or a pizza. Your nose is just another way God has created you to enjoy his fun creation.
- Ears to hear
Imagine a world without music. Imagine no birds singing. Imagine never hearing your child’s first word.
- Taste
God could have made consuming food a purely functional act, but God found a way to make it fun. God gave you taste buds and we have been having fun eating ever since.
- Touch
You can feel the cool breeze and a warm summer day. You can feel a hug. You can’t tell me that God didn’t give us touch for fun.
God gave us brains. And brains are really crazy things. It’s a pink squishy thing that floats in your head. And this “thing” is nothing short of amazing. Your brain is fun. It is taking in all kinds of information and interpreting it. Your brain is interpreting the colors you see. You brain is interpreting the sound you here. All you feel, smell, and taste is your brain at work.
Your brain never sleeps. Even when you don’t know it is working, it is working.
The brain hardly ever thinks about itself. You hardly ever think about your brain. In fact it feels weird to think about that squishy pink brain floating in your head. It almost feels like an out of body experience – like Neo waking up to reality in the Matrix movie.
When you think about your identity, you think about your body, but really you aren’t a body… you are a brain. You are this weird squishy alien looking thing… that is operating a body.
Kinda like Krang… from the Ninja Turtles.
Your brain is driving a body. And your body can never keep up with your brain. Your brain is so much quicker than your body. Your brain is overclocked computer processor fast.
Your brain comes up with ideas. Your brain is creative.
The Bible says you were made in God, the creator’s image. Your ability to create is fun. The creator lets us create.
Right now you can think of a happy memory. Right now you can think of a funny joke. Right this moment your brain can start thinking silly things that if you aren’t careful will cause you to giggle.
Your brain is curious, and curiosity is fun.
Every human being has curiosity. You look into the sky and wonder. You look at machinery and question how it works. You see problems and try to solve them.
This is all by design. This was the creator’s doing. And it’s awesome.
There is wonder and awe all around us and within us. If we aren’t having fun then perhaps we are doing this wrong. You were created for fun.
Your perception is your reality
What is your reality today? Are you having fun? Why not?
Here is true reality.
James 1:17 (NIV2011) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
The true reality is that God has is right now giving you every god and perfect gift. Every good and perfect gift is coming to your right now from the Father.
Repent
Repentance is fun. You can start over with God. God can forgive and forget your every wrong… and yet at the same time remember all the good that you have done. That is fun.
If you aren’t enjoying all that God is giving you, I want you to repent today.
If you aren’t enjoying His creation, I want you to repent.
If you aren’t unleashing your potential, creativity, and curiosity, I want you to repent.
If you aren’t looking forward to each day and each moment, I want you to repent.
If you aren’t blown away by the wonder and awe that is all around you, I want you to repent.
If you are an unhappy Christian, I want you to repent.
You were created for fun, happiness, and joy.
We are about to talk to God. I am inviting you to come to the front of the stage and spend time in prayer.
Your perception might be that coming to the altar means you are the worst sinner in the room. The true reality is that the person who preached to you today is as much of a sinner as anyone in the room and when you come to this altar you are coming to talk to and hear from a God who loves you.
Your perception might be that it feels weird to have someone pray for you. The true reality is that it is going to be awesome when God answers your prayer.
Your perception might be that you don’t “need” to pray today. The true reality is that you absolutely do need to talk to God today. There is no telling what God will do when you come to Him today.
Will you come?