Pursuit of God - Part 4 Apprehending 7-13-2013 Psalms 34:1-8

Sermon 7-7-13  the pursuit of God chpt 4 apprehending  pp-09

Continue in summer series- the pursuit of God

Chapter 4 apprehending God

The concept of apprehending

Csi apprehending vs seeing God

God  Ps 34:1-8

I will extol the Lord at all times;^(B)
his praise will always be on my lips.
² I will glory^(C) in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.^(D)
3 Glorify the Lord^(E) with me;
let us exalt^(F) his name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord,⁽G⁾ and he answered me;
he delivered^(H) me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;^(I)
their faces are never covered with shame.^(J)
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.^(K)
7 The angel of the Lord^(L) encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers^(M) them.

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good;^(N)
blessed is the one who takes refuge^(O) in him.

Many settle for an Intellectual faith in one form or another,

it makes sense to me that god is, so he must be.

Or I was taught from a child it is so, so he must be.

So, many people live and die and never get to know God

The possibility of intimate acquaintance with Him has not entered their minds.

While admitting His existence they do not think of Him as knowable in the sense that we know things or people.

Christians, go further than this, we hope.

Their creed requires them to believe in the personality of God,

          Loving, caring, guiding, jealous attributes of God’s character

they have been taught to pray, "Our Father, which art in heaven."

Now personality and fatherhood carry with them the idea of the possibility of personal acquaintance.

But Many people go through life trying to love an ideal and be loyal to a mere principle.

I know I have a father, but I do not know him

Rex smiley on fathers day

Over against all this cloudy vagueness is the biblical teaching that God can be known in personal experience.

A loving Personality dominates the Bible,

walking among the trees of the garden

Walking on the shores of galilee

Setting children on his knee

Forgiving the judged, releasing the captives, healing the broken

God  is present, speaking, pleading, loving, working, and manifesting Himself whenever and wherever His people have the receptivity necessary

The Bible assumes that just as you can know a person, you can know God.

So I know jon cundiff.  See him here?  He is a good man. 

We can know god in the same way.  But do we??

The same terms are used to express the knowledge of God as are used to express knowledge of physical things. "O taste and see that the Lord is good." "My sheep hear my voice." "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." These are but three of countless such passages from the Bible.

It is not just an idea,  It is a theme from beginning to end.

We come to know the physical world by our five senses, hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, tasting

We also possess the ability to know the world of the spirit if we pay attention

Tozer says, First a person comes to Christ, then they begin to have a growing spiritual sense with which to perceive god and get to know him

Jeff says, But I have seen the opposite at work too, where a deep yearning begins to grow in a person and their spiritual faculties are spot on, and that leads them to faith in Christ.

Two worlds

Temporal and eternal

Physical and spiritual

Seen and unseen.

We are aquainted much more with the world that we can touch.  But is it actually the real world?

The allegory of Plato’s cave

Describe it

Show the video                                                                                               video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69F7GhASOdM

in one of the versions of this, the prisoner is drug up the steps

the ascent to reality can be very painful

the process of leaving our earthly paradigms can hurt

what is the real part of a person?

Genesis...created dust and spirit...physical and spiritual
Amazing how it is all formed
the spirit and body are joined to make a human. 

Look at a body at a funeral visitation – the person is not there
the soul is the man...take it away, have nothing

And so there is this real world of the spirit

1 cor 13- now we see thru a glass darkly

Glass in the wild wild west

2 kings 6 – Elisha and the army of angels – picture

⁸ Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”⁹ The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” ¹⁰ So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.¹¹ This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”¹² “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”¹³ “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

When we look at this world and think that this is all there is

Or that this is what really is

We have bought a lie

We have been sucked into the matrix 1999

The matrix Neo and Morpheus
The matrix picture
Choosing to be sucked into a world that isn’t the true reality

So we have the physical world and the spiritual world. which will we value?

We value the physical world when we become consumers

·        When we can’t wait for the sale

·        When we are overly worried about our good looks

·        When I want it fever takes us over

We value the spiritual world when we

·        Love god with our heart soul mind and strength

·        See others as god sees them

·         And practice habitually to see the world with the kind heart of God

We must choose

The physical world or the spiritual world

Do we see the clouds or do we see the sky- past the sky to the universe, past the universe to see the creator?

Do we see the insult or look past the broken human-  there is something spiritual going on

Do we value Christmas trappings, or a savior come to earth

We know how our human mind sees a thing, but  How does our soul see a thing?

The soul has eyes with which to see and ears with which to hear. Feeble they may be from long disuse, but by the life-giving touch of Christ we can learn to live with a more spiritual mindset

think of people that you know that you consider spiritual

          they have a wonderful perception.  They listen, they hear, they see things

It is amazing  we are attracted to them

The work of God is the work of the spirit.

Churches like to talk about what God is doing at their place…..

Revival…….. not done by putting up a sign.

John Wesley did not intend to start a new church

But sometimes god moves on a people.

In revival god doesn’t take sides, god takes over…….

          Picture your life as a place where god is moving

          Your heart as a place where god is speaking

          Your mind that is thinking more and more about him and his ways.

How do we learn to do it?  Can we do it today?

Yes

1.   Break the habit of looking at the physical as the real life

Break the habit of ignoring the spiritual

Stop thinking that the physical is the real stuff, the good stuff or the important stuff

2.   See the world for what it is, both spiritual and physcical

3.   Change our interest from that  which is seen to that which is unseen

The birthday gifts

4.   Think on god

5.   pray

·        God let me see your world

·        God let me hear your voice

·        God who can I care about for you this day

O God, Bring to life the spirit within me so that I may see you more clearly.  

Give me spiritual insight that I may know you more dearly.   Let me taste and know that you are good. Help me to know you with certainty and bring me closer to you and heaven than I have ever been.  Amen

The Finish Line 1 Kings 2:1-4 May 30, 2010

Sermon memorial day 5-30-10-the finish line- 1 kings 2:1-4aaa

1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
2 "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4 and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

David is arriving at the finish line.
How you finish is very important.
How you run along the way is very important.
Track story 1st meet of the year. Led the entire way, passed at end.

The chiefs have a frustrating way as well.
Play as if you don’t care, then try to catch up in the last 5 minutes
Run the entire game lke you care.

David is arriving at the finish line.
David left some good advice: be strong, obey God,

Be strong
The hard work of life. When the going gets tough.
You face a challenge and stay with it.

Obey God
To the extent that we do that which we know is right, life goes well
To the extent that we do whatever we want, life becomes painful
God wants us to follow him, because there is nothing better for us

how was david remembered?
Chosen boy to be king. Giant killer. Shepherd. Murderer? Adulterer?

Man after gods own heart- acts 13
He was a fierce lover of god

I walk every year at mt Washington cemetery.
We visit and remember those who have gone on before us

How would you like to be remembered?

In the early part of this century, a novelist researching a book about life in a certain New England town visited the local cemetery as part of his investigations. The writer noted with interest that nearly every tombstone from that era bore a final epitaph. Unfailingly, these were words of praise for the departed with references such as kind, generous, upstanding, loving and faithful appearing again and again.
This prompted the researcher to ask, I wonder where they buried the sinners?

People have a long memory- snail joke
There's a knock at the front door. A man opens it and looks down to find a snail sitting on the stoop. He picks up the little critter and throws it as far as he can.
Three years later, there's a knock.
The man opens the door, looks down, and there sits the same snail.
The snail looks up and says, "What on earth was that about?"

They will remember you.
How will you want to be remembered? Ask Them

Touch, love

2 pictures of love
the first is love in a marriage
Ephesians 5 rob bell- pg 122
Very exciting scripture
Comes from a time before partnership and equal rights – women were property
Husbands dying for the wife

21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

A couple married for 15 years began having more than usual disagreements. They wanted to make their marriage work and agreed on an idea to help. For one month they planned to drop a slip in a "Fault" box. The boxes would provide a place to let the other know about daily irritations. The wife was diligent in her efforts and approach: "leaving the jelly top off the jar," "wet towels on the shower floor," "dirty socks not in hamper," on and on until the end of the month. After dinner, at the end of the month, they exchanged boxes. The husband reflected on what he had done wrong. Then the wife opened her box and began reading. They were all the same, the message on each slip was, "I love you!"

the second picture is love between friends
John 15:13-13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

You and your friends. Do you give them the sense that you are there for them
Or is it always about you?

Rudy Rasmus- St Johns umc Houston: the most commonly repeated statement at our church is “I love you , and theres nothing you can do about it.”

People know what love is
They know what is fake and what is real.
People respond to real love. They know it.
They are drawn to authentic love

On this memorial day
John 15:13-13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

We remember those who fought and died

During ww 2, 300 died on average every single day.
Once 16 million strong, veterans of World War II are dying at a rate of more than 1,000 a day and now number about 2.5 million, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates

Young people must remember,", "that freedom isn't free."
Your parents cant give you the gifts of life
They can teach you about them and put you in a position to receive them
But they gifts of life must be grasped by each generation
Through hard work, commitment and sacrifice.

We remember and say thank you.
Moment of silence to do just that.

Finally today We remember the savior who died and rose again
13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
He showed great love
So We remember and say thank you

Gosh there is a pattern emerging in this message.
Sacrificial love of family, friends, sacrificial love of our savior.

The Christian faith is more that a request that you inject some acts of love into your otherwise self indulged life
The Christian fiath is an invitation for you to die to you preference, to die to your comfort, and to learn instead to find that comfort again in a life of sacrificial love

People know what real love is
Some day we will all arrive at the finish line
How will you be remembered?

Let us pray

Hansel and Gretel- left bread crumbs behind to find their way home

The pastor noticed little Alex staring at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church.
It was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.
The seven year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly, "Good morning, Alex."
"Good morning," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. "What is this?" Alex asked.
"Well, son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."
Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex's voice was trembling and barely audible when he asked, "Which service, the 9:45 or the 11:15?

Judging Others 2 Kings 2:23-25 8-30-98

2 Kings 2:23-25

The moral of this story is clear -- don't make fun of people who are losing their hair. They may be God's people, there may be trouble in it for you.

The moral is clear -- be careful about judging others. Elisha was God's man; he just came from doing a miracle...be careful.

There's a particular United Methodist minister who I did not care for -- his ways, his benefits, his politics. This week I heard Mayor Emanuel Cleaver speak. You may not like his politics, but I have a new respect for the work of God in his life.

The boys bashed Elisha, I judged the mayor, who have you held in contempt?

From the "only one thing at a time" department: when we judge, we waste our time, doing evil. We spend our time doing evil, when we could be doing good.

When we look at God's people and say "What is wrong with them?" -- we are implying that something is wrong with God!

We demean others to the detriment of ourselves. We may not be mauled by bears, but there is trouble ahead for those who sow negative seeds. People don't need to be judged or demeaned, they need to be loved and affirmed, to be believed in.

Prov. 12:25 "Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop; but a good word maketh it glad." Jesus took a ragtag bunch of fault-laden fellows and made them into a group that changed the world. Take Peter -- cuts off a soldier's ear, denies Jesus 3 times.....what does Jesus see? "Upon this rock, upon people like this, I will build my church."

What is God calling you to do? Do it. Do not be deterred by those around you. It's important to bring a word of encouragement to share love. Babies wither without love; so do adults. We need someone to believe in us, and those around you need someone to believe in them.

Yet when it comes to how we treat one another, we have a way to go yet. Use your day, use your time, to build others up, not to tear them down. People tend to rise to the top when they know that someone believes in them. I want you to know today that I believe in you, as individuals and as a church. I believe in who we are, I believe in where we are going.

So, lay off the old guys, the slow guys, the mean guys, the guys you don't understand, the bald guys. For they may be one of God's guys. Find some way to show them that you care, that you believe in what God may be trying to do in them. Amen.

Turn the Hearts of People 9-8-96 1 Kings 18:36-45

Turn the Hearts of People 1 Kings 18:36-45

Joke....plane losing engines.... 4 clergy on board....I'd rather have 4 good engines
sometimes we would rather have the earthly things than the heavenly
such was the case for King Ahab

Ahab, married Jezebel from a neighboring tribe
build a temple to the baals
allowed their prophets in, sought to kill the prophets of the Lord

Elijah..it will not rain [drought] for the next several years, unless I say so

Ahab chased, Elijah hid

The it was time..meet me at Mt. Carmel... bring the prophets of Baal
baal's prophets tried the sacrifice
Elijah mocks the prophets
Elijah calls on the Lord

The point of this event was that God wanted to turn the hearts of the people back
Ahab seems at this point to be a passive participant

Elijah is happy....I hear the sound of an abundant rain

go check the horizon...7 time...cloud like a man'shand
you all go home so that you don't get stopped y the rain

Idols are easy to worship....you can see them, touch them
but serving them gets in the way of serving the Lord

what is the good news for today
that God will bless us if we service him? there will never be a drought?
materially....maybe, but probably not
knowing and being with the Lord is all that matters
If your soul is dry, and you feel like you are in a drought
choose to return to him....there is a thunder booming in the distance
You don't have to be perfect

His desire is to pour blessing upon you...the blessing of himself

Woods Chapel Church....good things in store

Let us pray

Be A Community Kings 2:7-15 9-22-02

Big Brother needed….

Driver to take woman to dialysis Sermon 9-22-02 2 Kings 2:7-15

A seeker after truth came to a saint for guidance.'Tell me please, wise one, how did you become holy?''Two words.''And what are they, please?''Right choices.''And how does one learn to choose correctly?''One word.''May I know it, please?''Growth.''How does one grow?''Two words.''What are those words, pray tell me?''Wrong choices.'

Mrs TooGood [Woman in white SUV] wrong choices, opp to learn

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!The problem is, most of us have heard that advice so often -- many of us from childhood on -- that it has a trite ring to it. But think with me for a moment about what following the way of Jesus really means.For one thing, it means being a part of the believing community that we call the church. * What other institution is there that sanctions the pursuit of holiness, compassion, the meaning of life as legitimate enterprises?* What other alternative is there that so fully provides the resources for spiritual growth?* What other place is there where children are nurtured in faith? * What other place energizes the examination of societal issues not only in terms of what would be helpful but also in terms of what would be right?* Where else are deaths mourned but mourned in the hope of eternal life? ...
We need to grow, learn and be in community


Don’t trust a shepherd who isn’t someone elses sheep
Lone ranger Christians

Elijah, Elisha 2 Kings 2:7-15
Mentors
Why did he want a double portion of the spirit….
The storms of life do come…. You need to be ready

Jesus in the temple – Luke 2:41
Jesus taught people his entire ministry
Why was learning important to Jesus?
The storms of life do come, you have to be ready

Do you have room to learn?

Last week the sermon was about others
This week the sermon is about you
For one hour more a week, your life can be different.

Teach Sunday school…..attend Sunday school/small group

I have a concern about a growing church that does not have a growing education dept
I am not worried about numbers, I am worried about, care about the growth of our souls
Attending worship is not enough….
Enjoying spiritual feelings without an ongoing attempt to grow spiritual ideas, of course, is what tacks the foam rubber onto the cross.
Find a group and you will grow

We need to grow
Growing for our own joy, benefit
Growing thru making Christian friends
Growing for the day when the waters will be rough

The day will come when you are going to need the waters to part
Your momma and dad wont be there to help you.
We need to have grown in our faith so that when we slap the waters….
Our faith in God is strong…..
He then will part the waters.