Sermon
6-16-13 AW Tozer…the pursuit of God xk
Chpt
1 Following Hard After God
Scripture:
Psalm 63:1-8
1
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole
being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I
will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips
my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I
think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my
help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
introduction
New
series based on tozers book
Who
he was
Aiden
Wilson Tozer (April 21, 1897 - May 12, 1963) was an American Christian pastor [Christian and Missionary Alliance], preacher, author,
magazine editor, and spiritual mentor.[1] For his work, he
received two honorary doctorate degrees [Wheaton College & Houghton College
but had no college degree].
The
sense that the book title sounds hard…pursuit of God
Book
is avail in the bookstore
But
it is not about making spirituality heavy, but making spirituality
relevant
Why
this series is here
He
felt that the church was going the wrong way, and it was 1946!!
pursuing
God
Chapter
one- following hard after God
Fathers
day thought -1991 Hook – happy thought. I’m a dad!
What
should a person/a Christian father pursue?
Do
the right thing –
Build
Character, discover a relevant spirituality
Men’s
Ministry/Father’s Day (really all of us)
The goal of Men’s Ministry is to come alongside men as they seek to become better husbands, fathers, grandfathers, role models, mentors and friends. This looks like learning, experiencing and living out the Great Commandment to Love God and Love Neighbor. Not an end, but a way of life.
The goal of Men’s Ministry is to come alongside men as they seek to become better husbands, fathers, grandfathers, role models, mentors and friends. This looks like learning, experiencing and living out the Great Commandment to Love God and Love Neighbor. Not an end, but a way of life.
I
love baseball, we had a wonderful ball game in the circle a few years ago.
but
just teaching kids baseball isn’t enough
All
of our lives need another side, a deeper
The
pursuit of God begins w God - Methodists teach prevenient grace
We
love him because he first loved us 1 jn 4:19 SLIDE
The
impulse to pursue god originates with him
So
we are pursuing God, but we are not taking the credit
Yet,
We all have a spiritual side
Our
deepest Spiritual connections come from God
Psalm
42
As
the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants
for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…
…..7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;
We
all have a spiritual side but we have missed the boat
Yet
we Christians have gotten it wrong- what it isn’t…….
Yet
the church has made it so shallow…. And this is 1946
Christianity
has become transactional, mechanical and spiritless”
Christ
may be "received" without creating any special love for Him in the
soul of the receiver. The man is "saved," but he is not hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact he is
specifically taught to be satisfied and encouraged to be content with little.
Transactional
Christianity looks like this
Hello
Jesus yes I choose you
Shake
hands with someone in the congregation
Walk
away
Do
I know that person?
·
a logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more
seek him.”
·
Spirituality
may begin here, but it is much more than a cursory handshake w Jesus
The
church has engaged in trivial pursuit
Thinking of the game where you are rewarded for knowing lots of trivia
Thinking of the game where you are rewarded for knowing lots of trivia
Many
of us have “majored in the minors.”
We
settle for trivial pursuits (i.e. fame, fortune, power)
In
the end anything less than pursuing God results in a life that is a fraction of
the life God offers us.
We
know much of the bible, but little of God
We
know much of doctrine, but little of God
The
modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are
in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word. (14)
In
his 1786 “Thoughts upon Methodism,” Wesley wrote:
“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”
“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”
We
get stuck in the humanness of the moment. The mechanics of a thing.
Stuck
in churchiness
We
sing a song and are caught up in the mechanics; should I sing? That person
sings loudly – that drums are too loud – the words are off
And
we never actually sang, never lifted our hearts to God never told him that we
love him, never entered in.
A
savoring is needed- a leaning into Christ. A savoring of God
John
17:3 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know
you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Transition-Salvation
is not an ending but a beginning
The
moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being
senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition…It is, however,
not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart's
happy exploration of the infinite riches of the God
The
infinite riches of god, his joy. His love. His peace.
So
there is more than this choice……ok, say more
Jn
3- 6 Flesh gives birth
to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to
spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born
again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its
sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is
with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]
here
is an invitation
to spend time in the deeper part of your life.
When
we begin to allow god to speak to us….
When
we listen in prayer
Our
life begins to be submitted to him in a greater way
This
is not heavy but joyful
It
is not difficult, but it is simple. simplistic
Simplicity…come
as a child
Strip
down to essentials
Wesley
focus on essentials
Strip
down our theology
I
don’t want to know about God, I want to know God
Who are you God
Who am I god?
How can I be about your work today?
Paul
said, "That I may know Him" (Philippians 3:10)
When
we start to get on God’s wave length, we recognize that We know him; yet long
for him more
holy
people have a desire for God
Jacob
wrestles with the angel. Genesis
Being
made in His image we have within us the capacity to know Him. (15)
Although
the concept of a personal relationship is not specifically scriptural,
it
is our experience that god is known personally. Not via the pastor, not
via your grandmother, but personally.
Describe
how this happens for you Pastor Gerald Fry, after work on Wed
night
Moses
prayed "O God, show me thy glory." (Exodus 33:18) People that seek God
want to taste, to touch with their hearts, to see with their inner eyes the
wonder that is God.
“The
continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and
the soul of the redeemed man in the throbbing heart of New Testament religion.”
Conclusion –
God
waits to be wanted.
My
hope is that your heart will burn for God. Yes for his church. Yes for his
book, mostly for him
O Father, at times I have so felt your presence, and your goodness.
It was good and I wanted more!
At other times I have been aware of my lack of desire and lack of thirst for you.
I am painfully aware of my need for grace.
O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I want to want you, not "sometimes", but at all times, I want to thirst for you always.
Begin in mercy, a new work within me!
Say to my soul, “Rise up, my friend, and come away with me.”
Then give me grace to rise and follow you up from "the misty lowland in which I have wandered for so long.
Raise me up. Set my feet on a rock and give me a firm place to stand" not “sometimes”, but at all times. In Jesus' name, AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment