I had the opportunity to preach this week and since we spent the first part of the week skiing I got to prepare most of my sermon while on the mountain. As I was thinking and praying about what to share this week an overwhelming sense of thankfulness and gratitude filled my heart at the thought of how we serve a God who is not hidden. Our God has made himself known to the entire universe. He has REVEALED Himself throughout history and continues to REVEAL Himself everyday.

The word REVEAL comes from the Greek word we use for apocalypse meaning to “take off the cover, to disclose, to pull back the curtain.”

When I think about this idea of pulling back the curtain to REVEAL a mystery I think about the movie “The Wizard of OZ.” Remember, the great and powerful OZ appears to Dorothy, Tinman, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion as a massive face with a loud and booming voice. Fire and smoke fills the room. The Wizard instills fear and trembling into Dorothy and her friends… but not Toto.

Toto pulls back the curtain to REVEAL the true nature of the Wizard. He is not great and powerful but weak and sad. The Wizard was nothing more than a con-man with a laser light show and a fog machine. The Wizard wanted to remain hidden behind the smoke in order to boss people around. His power came from the mystery.

The REVELATION of God couldn’t be more different than that of the “great & powerful OZ.” While there is and always will be some element of mystery surrounding God, He has INTENTIONALLY revealed Himself to us. He pulls back the curtain and says, “Look, see this is my nature. These are my plans. This is WHO I AM.”

God is powerful not because He is hidden but because he has made Himself known.

We could talk about the millions of ways that God REVEALS Himself to us but we would be here until Kingdom Come. This week I want to talk about 4 Ways God REVEALS Himself to the world. Tomorrow, we’ll look at how God REVEALS Himself through His CREATION.