Woman, Where Art Thou?

The topic before us this weekend is "Woman, Where Art Thou?" This is not merely a call to women—it is a call to everyone. I believe we hear the voice of God resounding, echoing over and over, asking every one of us: Where are you? Where are thou?

The First Question Asked on Earth

This was the very first question asked on planet Earth. If you are a student of the Bible, you will see that throughout Genesis chapters one and two, God was giving commands, giving direction, deciding what to do. God was creating—the heavens, the earth, the creeping things—and then He said, "Let us create man in our own image." God was precise.

But when we come to chapter three, the enemy came and deceived mankind, precisely the woman. And that led God to ask the very first question ever asked on Earth: "Where art thou?" And God is still asking that same question today. It is a question God has been asking from the beginning of time, and even now He still asks: Where are thou?

Understanding God's Question

Let's go to the Book of Genesis, chapter 3. After Adam and Eve had eaten of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil—which God had forbidden them—their eyes were opened, they became aware of their nakedness, and they hid themselves among the trees of the garden.

"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" (Genesis 3:8-9)

Now, this is important to understand: This is a God who is all-knowing. This is a God who is powerful. This is a God who knows all things. In John chapter one, verse 48, Jesus said to Nathaniel, "Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." He knows all things.

So when God asked Adam and Eve, "Where art thou?" He was not asking them about their physical location in the garden. He was asking them where they were in the spirit realm. Before sin entered the world, God used to visit them in the cool of the day to fellowship with them, to relate with them. But when sin came, man lost his position and visibility in the spiritual realm.

When God came as usual to fellowship with man, He could not find man in the spirit realm. So God was asking: "Where are you in the spirit? I cannot see you in the spirit. I cannot see you in the place of communion. I cannot see you in the place of service. I cannot see you. You are no longer in the place of fellowship."

The Application Today

And God is still asking that same question to us today. Many of us are physically in the garden—but God is asking, Where are you? Many of us are physically present in the contemporary garden, which represents the church. We mark the register. We respond to attendance. But God is saying, "I cannot find you. I am looking for you. Where are thou in the spirit realm?"

Look at what Adam's response was: "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

So many people are hearing the clarion call from God to serve, the call from God for fellowship. They know what God requires of them. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12:

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

But they do not respond. They hide themselves. So many people are in the garden hiding. They are in the church and they are still hiding. God is saying, "Yes, I know you are here physically, but in the spirit realm, we cannot find your record. In the spirit realm, you are nowhere to be found."

Why Does God Care?

Can't be in the church and still be hiding. Why would God ask where they were if they were not relevant? Why would God care about where you are if you are not important to Him?

The reason God cares, the reason He is asking this question, is because of why He created us in the first place. In Revelation 4:11, the Bible says:

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

Everything was created for His pleasure. So when anything drops out of that domain of operating to please God, then God begins to ask: "Where are you?" The only thing that makes us fit for purpose is when we act to please God, when we do things for His pleasure.

At the time Adam and Eve were hiding, they were no longer operating for the pleasure of God. And God had to ask them: "Where are you?" You were created for His pleasure. I am created for His pleasure.

Man was created to have dominion. Man was created to rule. When God created man, He said, "Let them have dominion." He gave us dominion over the earth. He gave us dominion over all the things He has created.

But what did man do? Because of sin, man relied himself to the level of trees. Man, because of his own desire, his own pursuit for his own things and his own ways, fell from grace to grass. They became equal with grass. What you are supposed to have dominion over, you are now contending to hide in their midst.

I reject that for everyone one of us in Jesus name!

Why are you hiding in between it? Why are you not ruling over the things God has created? Why are you not ruling over situations and circumstances? Why are you hiding among the trees?

What It Means to Hide Among the Trees

To hide among the trees contemporarily means:

• Not to exercise your god-given authority
• Not to occupy your god-given position
• To relegate yourself to the level of the trees

God did not create us on Earth to be dominated upon. God did not create us on Earth to become servants. No! God created us for His pleasure, and He gave us power. He gave us authority.

So why do people hide? Why don't people make use of their gifts? Why do people come to church and hide their gifts? Why do people come and hide in between the congregation? Why do people come and don't make use of their god-given ability? Why do people stay in a place for so long and make no impact?

We even see so many people who were fighting brand Christians back in Nigeria or in countries of their orientation, but when they get to an advanced country, they become cold. And you ask yourself: Why? Why are you conforming to the system? Why are you hiding yourself among the trees? Why are you not exercising your dominion? Why are you not ruling? Why have you lost fellowship with God? Why have you lost your position in the spirit realm?

Reasons Why People Hide

1. Fear

The first thing that makes people hide among the trees is fear. Look at what Adam told God: "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself."

Fear is one of the greatest reasons that make people hide themselves. Ask the majority of people who are not in church today about the reasons why they are not in church. They will tell you: either they have to pick up a shift, or they don't have time, or they have work to do.

But the truth of the matter is this: fear of the unknown. Fear of what we will eat. Fear of how we will be clothed. Fear of the future. The fear of the unknown is one main reason that keeps people far from fellowship with God.

They would rather use their time for secular work. They would rather use it for other activities, other things outside of God. Fear of the unknown grips the heart of many and keeps them from fellowship.

The Bible addresses this fear in Matthew 6:30-33:

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

God says, what you are looking for out there is with me. It's in the place of communion. It's in the place of worship. It's in the place of fellowship.

In Matthew 25, we have the parable of the talents. A man traveled to a far country and gave talents to his servants. To one he gave five, to another two, to another one. The one with five traded and came back with additional five. The one with two traded and came back with additional two. But listen to the words of the servant with one talent:

"I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth."

Fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the future. This is one of the reasons that a lot of people have kept themselves from service. This man said, "I was afraid," and because of that fear, he buried his talent.

But Abraham went with God without even knowing where he was going. There was no precedence laid before him. He didn't know. He just followed. He trusted God. And God never disappointed him.

Look at Ruth. Not knowing where her mother-in-law was going, she said: "Where thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Ruth had come to a point of no return with God.

Until you get to that point of no return with God, your fear will keep you back. The cares of life will keep drawing you back. But when you get to that point and say, "Where you go, I will go. Where you die, I will die. Where you are buried, there I will be buried"—at that point, you have given yourself completely to God.

Those who are afraid to hand over their future to God cannot serve God.

2. Fear Illustrated: The Story of Gideon

In Judges 7, we see the life of Gideon. He was called of God to help rescue the Israelites from the hands of the Midianites. Gideon rose up with an army to go for this rescue operation. He took with him 32,000 men. But God looked at Gideon and said:

"Ah, 32,000 men—these are too many to rescue into your hands."

So God announced: "Those who are afraid and fearful, tell them to go back." And out of the 32,000, 22,000 people went back. These were men who had left their homes saying, "We are joining Gideon to go and fight," but in their hearts, they were afraid.

God told Gideon: "Please tell them those who are afraid—tell them to go back home. I don't deal with people who are fearful. Those that come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

So 22,000 went back home. But the remaining 10,000—God looked at them and said, "We are going to carry out a test on them." He took them to the water and said, "Let them drink water."

The Bible says that as they got there, 9,700 men knelt down upon their knees to drink water. But 300 men did what? They lapped like the dog. They took water with their hands and they lapped like the dog.

And God said to Gideon: "Out of these 300 men, I am going to deliver the Midianites into your hand."

Do you know what God was saying there? Out of 32,000 men, only 300 qualified—less than 1%.

What qualified them?

First, they were not among those who were afraid. Second, they knew how to position themselves as soldiers.

The 9,700 who were not afraid were still disqualified because of their positioning. When they went to the river to drink water, they knelt down on all fours. As a soldier, when you go on all four to satisfy your thirst, and the enemy comes before you get yourself together, they will sweep in on you. They will raid you. They were not sound soldiers. They were not prepared.

But the 300 said: "We will use one hand to drink water, but we will still be alert. We will still be attentive. We will still stand as soldiers." They didn't go on all four. They used one hand to get water to satisfy their body, and they used the other hand to hold their sword. They were at alert to the Master's call.

That's the way Christians should be. Do we work? Yes, we do, because we have bills to pay. But we don't put all of our lives into work. We don't go on all four. We don't bury ourselves into our work in the name of bills to pay or in the name of, "We have to do this or that."

The work of God must not suffer because we are drinking water. So we are working physically—we are creating time for God. We are giving to God what belongs to God. We are giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. We don't mix the two.

Can God call you at any time? Can an assignment be given to you at any time? Will you respond? Are you at alert to respond to service at any time?

I pray that God will help us in the name of Jesus.

3. Lack of Eternity in View

The third reason why people hide and don't use their gifts is because they don't have eternity in view.

Many people are operating like the rich fool. He kept building. He kept gathering into store. The more God blessed him, the more he expanded his bands and kept storing and storing and storing for personal gratification. He built one house and said, "This house is not big enough." So he built another one. God kept giving him time.

But then God said: "Since you're not earthly useful, pack it all up." That night, God called him to account.

Anyone who walks without having eternity in view, the Bible regards as a fool.

The reason why people hide, why people don't use their talents and gifts for God, is because they don't have eternity in view. If you have eternity in view, you will know that everything on Earth ends here on Earth. There is nothing we brought to this world, and there is nothing we are going to take away.

What you have labored for for heaven—that is what you will be rewarded with when you get to heaven.

God's Call: Take Your Position

God is asking us: Where are thou? The earth is the garden, but why on earth? God is asking us: Where are you in the realm of things? Where are you in the scheme of God? In the agenda of God, where are you?

Make sure you take a position. Make sure that when the records of heaven are being opened, they will find your name there. Find a place. Find a position. Have a niche for yourself.

We're looking at people who are doers—people who said, "I may not be a pastor, but the little I can do, I will do. I will entrench my name in the scheme and the program and the agenda of heaven." They don't just sit back as bench women. When heaven calls their name, there is something attached to it.

When God asks, "Where are thou?" what answer will you give?

Will your answer be like that of Adam and Eve: "I hid myself"?

Or will your answer be like that of Isaiah: "Here am I; send me"?

Or like that of Paul: "Lord, here I am. Send me"?

"Fading away like the stars of the morning, losing their light in the glorious sun, thus shall we pass from this earth and its toiling, only remembered by what we have done."

Everything we do on earth will fade away. We will only be remembered by what we have done.

A Prayer of Repentance and Rededication

Let's spend some time in prayer. Begin to ask the Lord to have mercy upon you every way you have not fulfilled purpose. Cry to God and say:

"Father, every way I have not pleased you, every way I have not fulfilled purpose, Lord have mercy upon me. Every way I have allowed myself to be carried away with the cares of this world—I ask for mercy. I ask for mercy, oh God."

The word of the Lord says He knows that you have need of these things. God knows you have need of these things. But He said even at that, don't lose your place in the spirit realm. Don't be like the 9,700 men who buried themselves in the water they were drinking. Don't bury yourself in your job. Don't bury yourself in satisfying your flesh at the expense of God.

Oh God, we have been foolish. Lord, today we come with a heart of repentance. We come with a heart of repentance and ask God for mercy.

Everywhere we have lived our own lives, everywhere we have satisfied ourselves at the expense of you, our creator, at the expense of you, our God—today we ask for mercy.

You are asking us: "Where are thou?" Some of us are missing in the spirit realm. You are in church, but you are missing. You are in the garden, but God cannot find you. Today we ask and say:

"Father, please find me again. Find me again in your mercy. Find me again."

There are some of you under the sound of my voice. God has deposited certain gifts on the inside of you, and there are needs in the church. The needs are there, and God is saying, "Where is this gift that I gave to you? Why are you not using it to meet the need? Why are you not using this gift to meet my need?"

God is saying: "Where are you? Where are you?"

Begin to ask God this evening: "God, here am I. Find me again. Find me again. Deliver me from myself."

Some of you cry out: "Oh God, you know I love you. Oh God, you know I want to serve you, but I am trapped. I am trapped in this job. I am trapped with this habit. I am trapped with this debt. I am trapped in this situation. Have mercy upon me."

God is coming for you this weekend. That is a word for somebody. He said: "Tell my child, I am coming for you this weekend. I am coming to rescue you. I am coming to free you from that trap that you may be released to serve me again, that you may be free to save me again, that you may be released from that death, from that bondage."

Everyone that has been in the bondage of sin—God is breaking the yoke. Everyone in the bondage of death—God is breaking the yoke. Everyone in the bondage of one habit—God is breaking the yoke.

In this service, God is releasing men and women to serve Him. He's raising for Himself an exceeding great army.

Rise up. Rise up. Rise up. Take your place. Take your place again. Take your place in service.