Why does God seem hidden from us?

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. So, you've had those questions, right? And sometimes you might be going, like, what in the world are you doing, God? Or maybe you'd be asking, what in the world aren't you doing? Why aren't you doing anything? Have you ever asked that question as well? And God seems very elusive. He seems very hidden and mysterious at times. And, in fact, that's the question we're looking at today. Over the four weeks, we'll cover some others. And you might have some question you want us to cover. I don't know in this four-week period we can get it in necessarily, but maybe it'll be another series in the future. So just keep asking your questions. Keep bringing them to me. A question came up to me before worship. Hey, last week you said we're supposed to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Yeah, yeah, that's what Jesus said. How? Oh, yeah, okay. That would be, that's a long, you know, let me look into that one, right? How do I love someone that is my enemy? It's a tough thing. It's a tough thing. We are still called to do it. And we'll look at that someday in the future. But right now, the question we're asking today is, God, why are you so hidden from us? Why does it seem we can't see you? Why don't you show up? Now, we're going to, like I said last week when we talk about this question, it's kind of like an onion or like ogres, according to Shrek. Many layers to this question, okay? And we're going to peel one at a time away. So unlike usually when I say, okay, here's the three points of the sermon, point one, point two, point three, I'm not going to give you those. We're going to just walk through, and it's not three points, by the way, it's quite a few more. But short points. But we're going to walk through different layers of this onion of why in the world is God hidden from us? And what do we mean by that? Okay? And I hope that, well, maybe this sermon is going to go in a totally different direction from what you expect. And maybe that's a good thing. And secondly, I hope where we end up, though, is that you're just an on-wonder at the God who chooses to still not be seen by us, but is still faithful to his promises and is truly present with us at the same time. Okay? So, you know, if you'd ask any three-year-old, hey, have you seen God? Can you see God? Where is God? They'd look at you and say, of course God is invisible. They wouldn't expect to be able to see God as if he's just around, or, hey, he's right next to me, or whatever. Even though they believe in God and know that God exists, they would, and you ask why? To that kid in, that child would say, because he's God. I mean, come on. Why does he have to show up the way? So even a three-year-old understands that God may not be perceptible by our senses. He is the creator, not the creature. Why would I expect him to show up like anything else in this created world? Okay? Now, I believe a couple of different apologists over time have made this analogy about that, and philosophers as well, that basically God is like the playwright, and we happen to be characters in the play. Do you expect the playwright to show up? But he's all over the play. Right? Every word was written by him. Everything about him. C.S. Lewis, in fact, says that, because at one time, I think I've shared this, Yuri Gagarin, was he the first Soviet to be launched into space? And actually, Khrushchev, he was a believer. He was an Orthodox, Russian Orthodox Christian. But Khrushchev put in his lips that when he went up into space and orbited the Earth, he didn't see God, you know? And so, C.S. Lewis at that time said, that's just stupid. Okay? Why would you expect to see God in outer space floating around just above the planet? I mean, what kind of a God would that be? But this is how he said it in his essay, The Seeing Eye. He said, looking for God or heaven by exploring space is like reading or seeing all Shakespeare's plays in the hope that you'll find Shakespeare as one of the characters or Stratford as one of the places. Shakespeare is, in one sense, present at every moment in every play, but he is never present in the same way as Falstaff or Lady Macbeth, nor is he diffused through the play like a gas, you know? He's everywhere, but he's not seen the same way or experienced the same way as any other creature would be. And why would we ever expect that? Alfred Hitchcock, do you remember him? Some of you do, firsthand, maybe. And others have heard of his movies. Okay? Well, Alfred Hitchcock, for example, he produced a couple of great movies. And in each, he was all over that movie, from the beginning to the end, with how he shot things, et cetera. But he always had a little cameo in it, like this. I think it's there, isn't it? Yes. A little cameo. And it's usually a little cameo. He's, like, walking these dogs. I can't remember which one ...