Deadwood

So What is "Intimacy" With Christ?

God can reveal Himself to us more in one minute of quality time spent with Him, than in hours of ’distracted’ time. This is the road to true intimacy.

JOHN 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; He who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me, you can do nothing”…except turn into “Deadwood”.

Intimacy is a place of transparency—a risk of ridicule and vulnerability: where we receive both His incredible, unconditional love and also healing for our hurts.

Sadly, many who seek to minister in Christ’s name give relatively little time to attaining true intimacy with Him, preferring constant activity instead.

Their spiritual growth of knowing Christ in a personal way is diminished and stunted—they become a “spiritual runt”.

They have no significant Spiritual growth from year to year as they minister out of their emptiness.

You soon realize that your wooden rod or staff in which you are using to steady yourself as Elisha had become dependant upon isn’t enough.

We all need a staff or rod in our life—a ministry in helping the church, and knowledge of studying the bible, or even the use of our past experiences

But never let it become as “Deadwood” replacing the intimacy of Christ to performing the wonders He has for you through Him.

Elisha’s staff was an example of our good works accomplishing great things, but when Elisha laid flat with his arms outstretched over the boy, was a picture of how Christ revives us from our death in sin

When it’s time to throw away or break the “Deadwood” in our lives, often God uses a little technique called “pain” to get our attention

Rick Warren, author of 40 Days of Purpose, calls pain “God’s megaphone” –because pain always seems to stop us in our normal routine of life.

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OPTIONAL SERMON MEDIA POINT

show the VCR CLIP “FORREST GUMP”. START where the boys are throwing rocks at Forrest and END after the old man say’s “man that boy is a running fool”.

God realized that pain was needed to break the things that kept us from running the race—even though pain was involved in the process

He knew the LAW was the braces on our feet that we depended on for years instead of God himself —it needed more—He needed to fulfill the law with a personal relationship.

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How are you following Christ?

God realized that He needed intimacy so no longer people would seek Him by a cloud or pillar of fire as the Israelites did coming out of Egypt.

No longer would we be contained in a relationship by a tent or tabernacle or through chosen priests

He realized we needed to touch Him physically, feel His emotions, walk with Him through the dusty roads of life.

See His miracles and power up close and personal.

He knew we needed His only son—Jesus to accomplish that

He knew we needed to be held when we are blinded by life’s situations as He reached down with the mud and put it on the blind mans eyes to be opened and see clearly

He knew we needed to be held when Mary’s brother—Lazarus died—and Jesus felt the pain of what it’s like to lose someone close