Kyle Idleman: God Doesn’t Do Boxes

June 17, 2012

Kyle Idleman: God Doesn’t Do Boxes

Filed under: theology — Tags: audio sermons, God's greatness, God's nature, Kyle Idleman — paulthinkingoutloud @ 2:13 pm

This morning for Father’s Day my wife wrote a reading that involved some of the kids. It was an abridged — and slightly Canadianized — version of the following sermon clip from Kyle Idleman at Southeast Christian Church. (Link is to a generic sermon page.) For my wife’s version see the comments section.

If you’ve never read the book Your God Is Too Small by J.B. Phillips, it’s a very concise book that deals with our misconceptions about God’s nature. I’m also always reminded at times like this of this E. Stanley Jones quotation:

When say we begin with God, we begin with our idea of God, and our idea of God is not God. Instead, we ought to begin with God’s idea of God, and God’s idea of God was Christ.

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Abridged (International) version, by Ruth Wilkinson with song suggestions.

If your god says things to you like “Don’t take a risk, play it safe”, then your god is too small.

If your god is a genie that exists to grant your wishes, if your god operates on your timetable, if you plan his calendar, then your god is too small.

If your god loves white people more than he loves Iranians, if your god is always saying “Come”, and never saying “Go”, then your god is too small.

(Awesome God)

If your god never asks you to do something that isn’t in the budget, if your god needs a certain prime minister to be in office to accomplish what he wants to accomplish, then your god is too small.

If your god has never filled your eyes with tears or taken away your breath, then your god is too small.

If your god’s plan is for you to retire and spend a couple of decades taking it easy, then your god is too small.

If your god always shares your opinions and preferences, if your god always likes what you like, if your god is baptist, if your god is a methodist, if your god is a lutheran, if your god is a catholic, then your god is too small.

(How Great Is Our God)

If your god is just fine spending an hour with you a week, then your god is too small.

If your god looks at your sin of greed and gossip and says, “No big deal, you’re doing better than most”, then your god is too small.

If your god says your family is too messed up, if your god says you’re too young or you’re too old or you’re too broken or you’re too poor or you’re too late or you’re too guilty, then your god is too small.

(How Great Thou Art)

If your god fits nicely into a box, then that’s not God. You open it up and you find out he’s not in there.

‘Cause he doesn’t do boxes.

(Awesome God)

Comment by paulthinkingoutloud — June 17, 2012 @ 2:15 pm

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