Intimacy

There have been so many times in my life (in yours as well, I'm sure), where you felt a longing to draw near to God.  Those times are quickly followed by a sense of ignorance as to how to exactly do this.  You may bow your head to pray and your phone rings or the images and conversations of the day distract your mind.  You may sit to read your Bible and your daily reading plan has directed to read the first three chapters of 2 Chronicles.  You seem to be getting no where.  If this is you, I would like to share with you a lesson that I taught ("Those who can't do; teach." Someone said that, not sure who, but it fits here.  Although I am in the process of practicing what I am going to preach) last week to a group of college students.  So take your Bible and turn in it to John 6:1-15.  The focus will be on verse 15.  The title of this lesson is Intimacy with the Almighty.  Hope this can help.  Verse 15 Says this:  " Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself."  This verse contains the 3 principles we must discipline ourselves to practice in order to experience intimacy with God.

Intimacy With the Almighty

Three Principles from the Life of Jesus

John 6.1-15

I.                    Solitude & Silence

a.       Jesus experienced many times of solitude and Silence.

                                                               i.      Luke 6.12-13 (Chooses 12 disciples)

                                                             ii.      Luke 5.16; 9.18,28

                                                           iii.      John 6.15

b.       In OT & NT God encounters many people on a one on one level.

                                                               i.      Abraham – Gen. 12

                                                             ii.      Jacob – Gen. 28.13; 32.24-32

                                                           iii.      Moses – Ex. 3, 19

                                                           iv.      Gideon – Judges 6

                                                             v.      Elisha – 1 Kings 19.11-18

                                                           vi.      Peter – Acts 10

                                                         vii.      Paul – Gal. 1.17

c.       What is the importance of being quiet and alone before God?

                                                               i.      It is Biblical

1.       Psalm 37.7; 46.10; 62.1

2.       Hab. 2.20

3.       Zeph. 1.7

4.       Lam. 3.25-28

                                                             ii.      To follow the example of Jesus.  (If He needed time alone with God, how much more do we need to spend time silent before the Lord?)

                                                           iii.      To express worship to God.  (Silence and time alone before Him is an act of worship.  You are communicating to Him how important being in His presence truly is.)

                                                           iv.      To seek the will of God.

                                                             v.      It is a good practice to not just come to God and dump all your prayers and leave.  Come before Him in silence and reverence and fear.  Yes, I said fear.

II.                  Prayer

a.       Many times when Jesus withdrew to be alone it was His sole purpose to spend time (at times very large chunks of time) in prayer to God.

b.       What are some things we need to know about prayer:

                                                               i.      Prayer is expected and commanded.

1.       Matt. 6.5-9 (Note “when you pray….” Followed by a command)

2.       Col. 4.2 “(You) Devote (imperative) yourself to prayer….be alert. (Remember for III. Focus)

3.       1 Thess. 5.17

“As it is the business of tailors to make clothes and of cobblers to mend shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.”  - Martin Luther

                                                             ii.      Prayer is learned

1.       By praying

2.       By meditating on Scripture

a.       Psalm 19.7-10, 14

b.       Psalm 119

                                                           iii.      Prayer should be intentional

1.       You must plan to pray.

III.               Focus

a.       Jesus understood that His mission was not to be an Economic Messiah, a Political Revolutionary or a Bread King.

b.       John 18.36 He speaks to Pilate and declares that His reason for coming was to establish a Kingdom that was unseen.  The Kingdom of God.

c.       So what is our mission/focus?

And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith. [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]  That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. Phil. 3.9-11 (AMP)

For Christ and His Kingdom, 

Rickey