From Genesis to Revelation God has being calling for man. God called to Adam in Genesis and in Revelation the Bible says Re 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. There is a calling taken place in these last days to come, a call to follow, and seek the face of God.
We are living in a time when people are looking for someone or something to follow, a mission to complete them that will give them hope and reason to dream. Look around you and listen to people they are seeking answers and direction. It doesn’t matter who you are it makes no difference if you are Donald Trump, Bill Gates, or the President of the United States everybody is searching and looking for answers that can lead them and show them a better way.
This series of sermons will take you back to your roots to fall in love again with your “first love”.
There is an invitation that God is sending out to all mankind in these last days to come and follow Him, to repent and become a child of God. Not only is this invitation for those in the world but also to those in the Church.
Many of us have forgotten that we are to still follow Him. Christ is still the way, and He is still the truth and the life. He may think you have gotten so big that you can go out on your own, but I hate to bust your bubble you still need Him.
From the verse I read to you in James we read that God desires a relationship an intimate relationship with His creations. I believe that we forget that we were created for the Lord and that He desires to have fellowship with us. We are the apple of God’s eye, His one true love.
My heart has been so heavy toward my relationship with the Lord, and the relationship that the body of Christ has with Him.
The Lord desires us and the same commune and fellowship that we enjoy every day with friends and family. The one that sticks closer than a brother, the one that we call Abba Father desires the same fellowship.
God’s heart is yearning for His people. How it must grieve Him to know that His children only seek Him for an exchange of demands that bring instant gratification and personal gain.
Our walk with God should be much deeper than our wallets. What has happened is our daily lives and our daily walk have become confused with one another; we carry the burdens of our lives into our worship and devotion to God, church is now work, our relationship with God is work! Praising and worshipping the Lord; work, praying; work, fasting; work.
Anything that is to build a relationship is work and imposes on our time. What has happened to this generation, where is the desire?
The Lord desires us and He wants our affection to be toward Him the Bible says: Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. David said in Ps 27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Ps 42:1 As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Ex 34:14 (KJV) For the Lord to be jealous there must be a love for us and a deep desire. This is His unwavering desire. It is He that has issued the invitation, for He longs to be known by His children. Since the fall of man it has taken thousands of years, intricate preparations, and a huge price to open the way for this kind of close relationship.
Adam who knew the Lord openly walked and talked with God in the garden enjoying the very presence of God, but that relationship was severed by an act of rebellion and now sin destroyed a once beautiful relationship that would be carried over to all mankind. Now men and women cannot see or know God as Adam and Eve once had.
The Lord however was not so easy to give up on His Love for us, but was determined to bring back that fellowship so with great passion and compassion the plan of redemption was put into action.
At the price of His son Jesus, he would lay down His life so that we can be reconnected to the Lord. He paid the price that would liberate us from darkness and bring us back to His marvelous light. Paul said it best in 1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s
John the beloved disciple and close friend to Jesus recorded Christ as saying: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:18 (KJV) John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: These verses are saying that Christ stands in the most intimate place with God and it is through Christ that the Father can make known the same intimacy with us.
But I must say that we don’t hear much from our televangelist about relationship and intimacy with God but rather only on His blessings and what God can do for us on behalf of our seed offerings. Don’t get me wrong I believe that God does reward them that give and will bless those that do so. According to scripture we are to give cheerfully and gladly, I believe that if our hearts motive for given is right and it is truly unto the Lord, He will bless his people.
This junk I see on TV where these “saints” give $1000 and suddenly God turns around and gives them $100,000, makes God out to be a profitable pyramid scheme, and it looks like He is giving better odds than Vegas.
This neglect to mention to people that God not only saves and blesses His people but longs for a relationship with them; it is this teaching that is hurting the body of Christ.
It is a costly and disastrous decision on every minister and child of God that never experiences or tells of the desire of God’s heart to have each of us near Him.
So many have missed the mark because they were taught and preached to, more about what Jesus can do for them rather than who He is. There are many now that have been cultivated to serve God based on His hand and what He can do to their benefit rather than in joyful response to who He is. It is like an arranged marriage that was put together solely for the purpose of gain and not love. 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Ministers who emphasize the blessings of God to the neglect of a relationship with Him create disciples who come to God to get something, rather than those that respond to Him for who He is. God is awesome and great to behold there is none like Him, so why do we not seek Him for Him. If we seek Him as a lover, the promises all fall into perspective. He is so much more wonderful than anything, even His blessings. Matt 7:7-11 (KJV) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
We have become somewhat like the children of Israel. They cried out to God for freedom from the bondage and hardship of Egypt and to be taken to their own land.
The Lord being moved by their prayers and cries responds by sending them a deliverer by the name of Moses. He was born a Hebrew but escaped the death sentence issued to all young Hebrew boys and was raised as the grandson of Pharaoh in his household. As a prince of Egypt, he was moved by the plight of his brethren but would have to flee to the wilderness after killing an Egyptian to protect one of his own. Years later he would return to deliver Israel from their bondage by God’s Word and power.
Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage parallels our deliverance from the slavery of sin. Egypt represents the world’s system just as Israel is a type of the church. When we are born again, we’re set free from the worlds system of tyranny and oppression.
Though they suffered much hardship, cruelty, and scars for 400 years after their deliverance from Egypt when things were not going their way they would regret that they ever left that place. They would mock their own prayers with comments like “it was better for us back in Egypt”. They would be so bold to even suggest,
…”Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt”. Num 14:4 (KJV)
How that sounds so much like us we want deliverance, but not at the expense of our own comfort. What they failed to realize was that they were being brought out to be brought into the presence of the Lord. It was more than just a promise of freedom and a land flowing with milk and honey, but an intimate call to God’s people to Himself. In Exodus 7:16 The Lord said to pharaoh “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness”. Before Israel could go to the promise land they were invited into the presence of the promiser.
If Moses took them to the promise land first then they would love the promise more than the promiser, God himself.
Moses was the only one that didn’t long for Egypt. If anyone should have wanted to go back it was him. He had it made in Egypt power, position, and prestige. He had it all anything he needed he could have, but instead he chose to draw nigh to God. In Heb 11:24-29 (KJV) By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Moses had an encounter with God that kept him longing for more. It was such an encounter at the burning bush that he wanted all of Israel to experience it with him.
Think about Moses encounter with God he is on the back side of the desert tending to his father in laws sheep when the Lord got his attention. God came to a bush and caused it to burn, but not consumed.
We read in Ex. 3:3 that Moses said to himself, “I will now turn aside and see”. Moses deliberately departed from his planned course of action to respond to God who beckoned to him.
Once he responded we read, “So when the Lord saw that he turned aside…God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’” You know that if God is calling your name twice He desires your attention. Moses was not the only one to receive a double name call but we find Abraham called twice to keep from killing and offering Isaac to the Lord, we also find Samuel in 1 Sam. 3 being called three times until He replied. Sure God could have done it a different way, but I believe that God calls to see us respond.
He desires to be wanted and recognized, as well as to be known. He looks for those who are diligent in spirit, who will seek and pursue, even if it takes a tenacious persistence.
Looking at the Gospels we see a similar pattern. Jesus has just finished feeding the five thousand, and then tells His disciples to get in a boat and go before Him to the other side. He then departs to the mountains to spend time with His Father. Later that evening the disciples were still toiling against the wind to cross the sea and we read, And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. Mark 6:48 (KJV)
Did you notice the words: “would have passed by them”. Yet when they saw Him they cried out, and He responded,” Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid” Mark 6:50. He got into the boat and the wind ceased. I believe if they would not have cried out the Lord would have not forced Himself on them but would have continued on.
It seems to be God’s pattern to make a step toward us, and if we respond, He takes another and draws close. If we don’t respond He will not push His way in. Who knows, if Moses had not turned aside, would God just have waited as He did with Samuel, and as Jesus did with the disciples? He often waits until we are hungry enough to respond.
God’s main purpose in delivering Israel was so they could know and love Him. He desired to make Himself known to them. He said in Ex 19:4 “I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.” Yet they missed their destiny.
God’s desire for intimacy for His people has never stopped. He doesn’t want to lose any to sin but wants all to come to repentance to come to Him to draw near to Him to find rest, peace, hope, and love in Him.
God has made His passion known throughout His Word. We serve a living God, the original Father whose heart aches for His children. He is a communicator, who desires interaction. Paul said in Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
In 1 Thess 5:17 (KJV) we told to “Pray without ceasing.” Prayer is a dialogue and not a monologue and it is meant to be a two way street if we speak to God, and then He too will speak back. If we are to pray without ceasing then He will respond without ceasing.
Paul points out to those struggling in Corinth 1 Cor 12:2-3 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. In other words he was telling them before they got saved they ran from idol to idol and not one of them could speak a word. From Paul’s exhortation we see one of the primary characteristics that differentiate God, our Father, from all false gods and idols is HE SPEAKS!
If we will desire the face of God and Him alone we will see the hand of God open to us, but our motive needs not to be one of gain of earthly goods but of His wonderful Love. The promises are made if the Lord will take care of the birds (Matthew 6:25-34 & Luke 12:22-32) and all His creation He will not neglect the one that He took the time to create and not speak into existence. We are made in His image, we are His desire but is He ours.
Jesus said in Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. All that God has is for the receiving, but His love we must accept and give ours in return.
Now is not the time to flee and hide now is the time to listen to His voice as He calls and says, “Come”. His invitation is set and He is asking for you to draw near to Him. In these last days He is calling for us and for the people of this world to repent and follow Him.
Church don’t draw away from Him, but draw near to Him. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. All we have to do is make ourselves available.
