1. 1 “The much-quoted advice of Alexander Pope, ‘Know then thyself, presume not God to scan: The proper study of mankind is man,’ if followed literally would destroy any possibility of man’s ever knowing himself in any but the most superficial way. We can never know who or what we are till we know at least something of what God is. For this reason the self- existence of God is not a wisp of dry doctrine, academic and remote; it is in fact as near as our breath and as practical as the latest surgical technique.” Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of The Holy, Chpt 5

2. 2 From Tozer’s comment, we conclude that man cannot possibly know himself, his value, his purpose for being, how to be happy and content, or even how to accurately identify what is going on around him or why it is happening if he is not THEOCENTRIC. We may also conclude that to be EGOCENTRIC, as we are all born masters of that focus, is to be exactly wrong about everything we process in that orientation. Even if we appear to be doing the right thing, it will be for the wrong reason, and therefore still EXACTLY WRONG. Today we are going to see that only God can be egocentric and be right, healing instead of damaging, profitable instead of destructive, and we will see why that is true of Him, but can never be true of us.

3. 3 “A more positive assertion of selfhood could not be imagined than those words of God to Moses: I AM THAT I AM. Everything God is, everything that is God, is set forth in that unqualified declaration of the independent being. Yet in God, self is not sin but the quintessence of all possible goodness, holiness and truth.” The Knowledge of the Holy Chapter 5 “Cogito ergo sum” – does that remind any of you of your college days? What does that mean? It is the nonsense from Rene Descartes which is Latin for, “I think – therefore I am”.

4. 4 “A more positive assertion of selfhood could not be imagined than those words of God to Moses: I AM THAT I AM. Everything God is, everything that is God, is set forth in that unqualified declaration of the independent being. Yet in God, self is not sin but the quintessence of all possible goodness, holiness and truth.” The Knowledge of the Holy Chapter 5 “Cogito ergo sum” – does that remind any of you of your college days? What does that mean? It is the nonsense from Rene Descartes which is Latin for, “I think – therefore I am”. I don’t know if Exodus 3:14 was in Descartes mind when he made his claim to “thinking and being”, but if it was, it leaves him in a horrible position if he was right. Because if what we think is crap, then – well, you finish the conclusion.

5. 5 It is utterly amazing how the pop psychology of the day becomes the standard of measurement. Do you – today believe that if you think, you are? What does the phrase “brain-dead” mean? It is well accepted today in our hospitals that if there are no measurable brainwaves in a person, that they are brain-dead and therefore no longer exist. Carried to its farthest reach, is it reasonable that “thinking” is all you have to do to be an “I AM”? Many “think” so! And it IS crap!

6. 6 “A more positive assertion of selfhood could not be imagined than those words of God to Moses: I AM THAT I AM. Everything God is, everything that is God, is set forth in that unqualified declaration of the independent being. Yet in God, self is not sin but the quintessence of all possible goodness, holiness and truth.” The Knowledge of the Holy Chapter 5 Does the same statement applied to God ring true in your life? Does your assertion of self produce goodness, holiness and truth? Let’s see a demonstration of the concept.

7. 7 “The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. “But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” Dan 2:3-6

8. 8 “The king said to them, “I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” The king replied to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. “But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” Dan 2:3-6 Clearly Nebuchadnezzar sees himself as an “I AM”, determining what is good and what is not, and asserting his selfhood on others. Do you see “goodness, holiness and truth” as Nebuchadnezzar asserts his selfhood on others as an “I AM”?

9. 9 Why is it that what works so well for and in God, has exactly the opposite result for us? Why can God can be self-focused, self-asserting, and everyone is enriched by that, but if we do it, everybody gets the shaft? That is actually very simple – He is God and we are NOT God. When God focuses on Himself, it is so that He can give of Himself for the benefit of needy mankind. When man thinks of himself, it is for the benefit of self, for whom he is willing to consume others.

10. 10 Because God is who and what He is, He can assert His will and His selfhood safely and to the advantage of all the creation. Because we have no power, wisdom, or even common objective sense apart from God, we have to resort to “saber rattling” or preemptive threatening actions in order to convince others to submit their will to ours as an “I AM”, or the consequences will be dire! “If you ever pull a stunt like that again – believe me, it will be the worst day of your life!” “Why? What are you going to do to me?”“Believe me – you DON’T want to know!”Those are the words of a desperate wannabe, self- proclaimed god who is afraid of losing his influence to his pitiful reality. I know a woman who was told that if she did not comply with the demands of another, she would be chemically dissolved in the tub and washed down the sewer. Is that the assertion of selfhood for goodness, holiness and truth? Isn’t EGOCENTRISM apart from God’s exercise of it, absolutely lovely?

11. 11 So it is clear that because God is God, is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, and needs nothing, He can assert His selfhood and stimulate holiness, goodness and truth by it. On the other hand, we are impotent, know next to nothing, need EVERYTHING and we must get everything from others. We are, therefore, apart from God, intrinsically and totally selfish. This explains the difference between God and us, and why we cannot be self-focused without damage, not only to others, but to ourselves as well.

12. 12 Let’s also say that this fact is equally true of any created being, man as well as angels, who imagine a benefit in being self-focused. Let’s do a little more exploration of this matter and see it illustrated more clearly.

13. 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,” Is 14:13-16 You see? It is a problem because anyone who is not God, who asserts his or her will on others or even on self as God, has exactly the same result. That is because there is only one God!

14. 14 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you.” Eze 28:17 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Is 14:12-14 Do you see all of the “SELF” in this?

15. 15 Do you see why when a created being is convinced of his god-likeness, and he starts asserting himself on the lives of others, that God MUST do something about it or the environment becomes unlivable? We can see this on the micro as well as the macro aspects of life on earth. God might have to do this to the husband or the wife who thinks things need to be on his or her terms, as well as world leaders that God must humble in order for the masses to live. Watch Nebuchadnezzar.

16. 16 ‘Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.’ All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ Dan 4:27-30 Is someone struggling a bit with self-importance and in need of some humbling?

17. 17 “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled;” Dan 4:31-33

18. 18 “The king reflected and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’ While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled;” Dan 4:31-33 What was God’s problem with Nebuchadnezzar? Nebuchadnezzar drank Satan’s poison and he thinks that he is like God, and if everyone would just do what he wanted, the world would all be happy. The proof of the lethal mixture of his selfishness and his “not-God-likeness” is that he does not see any reason for repentance even after God waited for a year for him to repent of his egocentrism, even after he was warned by Daniel.

19. 19 “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

20. 20 “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” Now THAT is what I call a mental/spiritual tune-up! Does that look a little better and a lot more functional than his first assessment? Does he sound like a man who can finally enjoy the Presence, the wonder, the power and the magnificence of the Creator, rather than wasting his life trying to inflate, prop up, magnify and defend a pathetic, wasting image?

21. 21 Stop and think about the quality of life comparing his first perspective to the last. Which do you think he actually come to enjoy? And then remember also, his first perspective had him on his way to eternity in separation from God; but his last perspective, I think, made him a neighbor in Heaven for eternity. What we think, the perspective that we hold in the course of each day, is of imperative consideration.

22. 22 Are you convinced yet that when you are egocentric rather than theocentric that you cannot accurately understand what God is doing, who you are and what your value is; or even accurately identify what is going on around you? It is important for us to see how far reaching this concept is in our lives on a daily basis. Let’s go back to the day when everything went wrong for mankind.

23. 23 Consider man’s first sin. Did Adam and Eve properly identify and apply God’s design of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge? Let’s consider their first mistake? God made the garden and He made man and woman with a specific design and purpose in mind. What was God’s purpose for the man and woman? God made the man and the woman to know Him, engage and experience Him in everything and to share mutual love with Him.

24. 24 Why did God make the garden, and what was the purpose of that tree in the middle of it? The garden was the perfect habitat for man to experience God’s blessing and the wealth of His love. God’s purpose for the tree was to give them a way to demonstrate love and faith in God. So how do you get a perfectly sound thinking human being to do something so stupid? Are you ready for this? You do it every day! Even for a perfect, sinless man, all you have to do is to get them to change their focus from a perfect loving God, to SELF – by ANY means or measure!

25. 25 What DID God say the them? “Don’t eat of the tree in the middle of the garden or dying, you will surely die.” It was simple, pure and clear, and it contained life. Adam and Eve were not stupid – so how did Satan get them to walk into death?

26. 26 Notice the brilliant approach of evil. I want you to notice the specific strategy employed by Satan, that is used in court by skilled lawyers who are trained to do this very thing. Pay close attention to the questions and how they are designed to function to the designed end.

27. 27 What would have happened if Satan would have said, “So tell me – what do you and Adam think about God?” Eve would have had to say wonderful things about God! “Look at this incredible fruit. Taste these USDA certified organic strawberries. God gave all this to us to enjoy! Isn’t He absolutely amazing?!” Like a skilled lawyer, Satan does not ask an open ended question that he could not control.

28. 28 He dominates the conversation by saying things that left him in absolute control of where the conversation went and also Eve’s focus! Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Gen 3:1 He doesn’t start with an open ended question that is objective. He begins with something so absurd that it throws Eve away from REALITY and gets her thinking about an ABSURDITY.