Today we continue the series “A Quest for Intimacy.” -2

 Philippians 3:10 AMP  [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 the same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [the power 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. I believe we all can agree that having a “determined purpose” is so important to our intimacy with Christ, but hear your pastor, it is neither easy nor automatic. If you are serious about becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with God, you will find these two decisions will help you.

1. Reordering One’s Private World: The Discipline of Simplicity. Everything we encounter in this world works against reordering and simplifying our lives. Yes, everything. Our world is cluttered with junk and is extremely complicated. Ecclesiastes 7:29 (TEV) “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” Surely it is not God Who is the author of such confusion and chaos. Thomas Kelly - God never guides us to an intolerable scramble of panting feverishness. To be able to re-order one’s own world happens when we find it imperative to simplify our lives. If we don’t we will not be able to find inner peace, nor be able to access the deep parts of our hearts where God speaks to us

2. Being Still: The Discipline of Silence. I have almost found in my own personal life that this challenge is insurmountable. Another family crisis, another funeral, Covid, and just life keeps us from the times of silence. But listen to the Psalmist: Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” We are commanded to rest, relax, let go, and make time for God. The scene is one of stillness and quietness, listening and waiting before Him and Him only. Sounds almost impossible in these busy times but if we will know God deeply and intimately we must have this discipline of silence. We can’t do without silence if we hope to go deeper with God. Intimacy with Jesus calls for disciplines that are no longer valued or emulated by our society. We must begin with simplicity which allows us to re-order our private world. After this, there must be silence…Be still and know that I am God. 

Today we continue the series “A Quest for Intimacy.” -1

 Listen to Paul: Philippians 3:10 AMP [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 the same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [the power 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 this single sentence we find the Apostle Paul’s goal or quest for his life. He refers to it as his “determined purpose” as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

1. A Determined Purpose. What is that saying to us? It says that there is or should be a change in order. We have to deliberately embrace this aim to “become more intimately acquainted with Christ.” That I may know Him. Hear me, not intimately acquainted with theology, as important as theology may be. Not intimately acquainted with the church, as valuable as the church may be. Matthew 6:33 (NCV) “The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants…”

2. Nothing is of Greater Importance than Knowing Christ Intimately. This was the whole point the Apostle Paul was trying to make to the Philippians as he shared his resume. Philippians 3:7-8 (NKJV) “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…”

3. Holy Spirit is Our Key to Intimacy with Christ. Jesus is the Mediator between God and man. Without Jesus to fill that gap, we are all in trouble. We have been reconciled to God through Christ. Question…Jesus is the Mediator between God and man is indisputable, but Who is the Mediator between Christ and the believer? In other words, Who is the One Who connects us to Jesus? Of course, Holy Spirit. John 16:7 (NKJV) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” God, please draw us closer to Jesus by the beautiful intimacy we can have through Holy Spirit.

Today we begin a new series that I believe...

... is going to resonate with many. A Quest for Intimacy. One of the first responses we get when we ask someone how they are doing is, “I am so busy!” Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV) As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? People, even church people, actually everyone are caught up with the phrase Charles Swindoll calls the “tyranny of the urgent.” Swindoll – The tyranny of the urgent is not a theoretical issue, but a very real fact of life. It leaves people feeling strung out, impatient, occasionally resentful, and even worse, empty. I guess what I am asking of us as we begin this series, are we willing to make the changes needed to help us?

1. Deep Things. People have always been intrigued by deep things. Deep recesses of space, deep jungles, deep oceans, deep caves, deep thoughts, and deep conversations. Nothing is more exciting or nothing should be more exciting than to realize that God is giving each one of us an invitation to go deeper with Him instead of being swallowed up with surface junk.I believe some of God’s best truth’s or treasures are hidden in depths few are willing to venture into. What a loss for us! Patiently God waits on someone who is hungry enough to dig.

2. Hearts that Belong to God. As intriguing as the deep things of God might be, they are not found by the natural means of our mind. He is looking for hearts who belong completely to Him. Sadly, in our crazy hurried world there is very little time for intimacy with God. The church has become a group of people who resemble a herd of cattle in a stampede than a flock of sheep by still waters. Psalm 23:1-2 (NKJV) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 

3. We Cannot Stay Where We Are Now. Think about the condition of our world. Think about new government leaders in our country putting people in leadership who are the most pro-abortion, anti-family, Israel defying they can find. Isn’t it time for the Church…the real church, to get serious about its relationship to God and our responsibility to a lost and dying world. We must go deeper. Obviously God has provided Holy Spirit for us so we can have greater intimacy, greater power, and depths we have yet to discover. Let’s go!