GOD WANTS CLOSER
Please open your Bibles to Genesis ch. 3, and you will need to keep your Bibles open for this sermon, for I will be referring to quite a number of Scriptures.
INTRODUCTION
We are just about 2 months into a new year. How many of you made New Year’s Resolutions this year? Anyone? Great! Perhaps I should ask: How many have already broken one of those resolutions?
I like to make New Year’s resolutions, because I think it gives us a target, something to work toward. I have a question for you: What if you could know what God’s resolution was for you? What if God dropped into your life around January or February a letter that let you know, "THIS is what I have in mind for you for 2003?"
Well, I believe we can actually find out what plans God has for us. I am here tonight to tell you what God wants for you in 2003. If he made a list of things he wanted you to accomplish, I can tell you what would be the number one item. But to discover that, we’ll need to spend some time looking in His Word.
This sermon will be a little different than some that you hear. I’m not going to take a specific text. Rather, I’m going to preach a sermon all the way through the Bible. That can be dangerous, but I think we’ll be OK if you follow along with me in your Bibles. Sometimes we get up close and examine one particular chapter and verse (and we need to do that), but tonight I want to stand back and look at the whole scope of Scripture, and try to point out a common thread that runs throughout.
1. Presence of God with Adam and Eve
Gen. 3:8 "8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:…"
Wasn’t this an amazing time in history? What beautiful fellowship must have existed during these days! The way God speaks here, it seems that it must have been a habit for Adam, Eve and God to get together in the evenings and walk together in the garden.
But this day, something was wrong. You’ve probably read the story -- Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, and look at the last half of the verse: "and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."
Fellowship with God was broken -- they were driven out of the beautiful garden, and ever since that time, humans have not been born in a right relationship with God. No one, from that time on has ever been born with that close fellowship to God.
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wanted closer!
2. Presence of God outside the camp -
Ex 13:21-22 "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and b night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."
Wow! God’s showing himself to people and leading them in a visible form.
But God’s still outside the camp.
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
3. Presence of God on the mountain -
Ex. 19:10-12 "10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:"
That must have been amazing -- to see the presence of God on that mountain speaking to Moses. But there were limitations. A border was set up around the bottom of the mountain, and even the priests of the people were not allowed to go up into the mountain. So the people are where they can see God -- one man, Moses, is allowed to approach God and speak with Him -- it’s certainly better than total separation…
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
4. Presence of God within the Tabernacle -
Ex. 33:7 "And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp."
Never before has God has a place where His special Presence lives. Now, if you want to go where God is, you go to the tabernacle. If you want to worship him, you go to the tabernacle. Isn’t this wonderful?
5. Presence of God with us. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Now THIS is amazing! God must really WANT to be closer to human beings!
The Almighty God becomes a man, and steps from heaven to be born in a manger. Almighty God walks the roads that other men walk, he holds the children on his lap. He speaks to the crowds, heals the sick and raises the dead. He chooses men to be his special followers, and they spend three years literally walking and eating and talking and fellowshipping with God!
- Jesus tells the disciples they still have a need.
- He tells them to wait until the Holy Spirit has come upon them.
But wait -- what more could you possibly need? You’ve got a walking, talking
Jesus here on earth. Why isn’t this enough?
There are still limitations. You can only get so close to Jesus. In the crowds that surrounded him, no doubt there were people who saw him, but never got to speak to him. It IS wonderful to have God right here in the middle of things.
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
6. Presence of God in us - Eph. 3:17, 5:18
How can you get any closer than having Jesus right there beside you? Jesus himself gave us the answer, just a short time before he left the earth.
John 14:17 "Even the Spirit of truth…ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
Wow! God’s spirit in us? Sure enough, we arrive in Acts 2, and we read this:
Acts 2:1-4 "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…"
But is this something that only the apostles could have? Eph. 5:18
Not at all – Here, Paul says to all Christians that we need to “be filled with the Spirit.”
What does it mean that the Holy Spirit comes to live within us?
Eph 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,”
The word used here for “dwell” is a compound form of the normal word for dwell. Literally it means “become completely at home”. It means that Jesus becomes “completely at home” in our hearts. Now, to make Jesus at home, it may require some remodeling. . . (expound on this)
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
7. Presence of God in heaven -
Rev. 22:3-5 "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
And finally -- God will be as close as He wants to be!!
APPLICATION
We’ve seen the progression of human history -- where we started, and how God has always desired to get closer to people. But here’s the crucial questions: Where are you at in this picture?
q Many people are far from God, and trying to hide from Him, like Adam and Eve were after they sinned.
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
q Many have seen God from a distance, but they feel like the people at the base of the mountain -- they feel like they can never really know that God who they see from a distance.
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
q Some, like the ones who went to the tabernacle, have even come to the church, knowing they can be here where God’s special presence is. But they long to have more of Him -- more than just to be where He is, they want to really know HIM!
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
q Other people have even invited Jesus into their lives, and have become his disciples -- his special followers. They have spent time walking and talking with Jesus. But somehow, they’ve never reached the point of fully surrendering their whole lives to Him, so that he’s made FULLY AT HOME. (Eph. 3:17)
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
Some have made that full surrender -- Jesus is completely at home in their lives, but they need to continue growing in grace. Perhaps God is showing them new areas of light to walk in, new ways that they can know Him better…
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
And perhaps there are some who this year God would want to call home where He can wipe away every tear from their eyes, and they can see His face for all of eternity!
And that’s where we can all go because…God wants to be closer to you!
ALTAR CALL -
GOD WANTS CLOSER
Genesis 3 - starting to read here, please keep your Bibles open…
INTRODUCTION
We are just about 10 months into a new year. How many of you made New Year’s Resolutions this year? Anyone? Great! Perhaps I should ask: How many have already broken one of those resolutions?
I have a question for you: What if you could know what God’s resolution was for you? What if God dropped into your life around January or February a letter that let you know, "THIS is what I have in mind for you for 2003?"
Well, I believe we can actually find out what plans God has for us. I am here tonight to tell you what God wants for you in 2003. If he made a list of things he wanted you to accomplish, I can tell you what would be the number one item.
1. Presence of God with Adam and Eve
Gen. 3:8 "8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:…"
Wasn’t this an amazing time in history? What beautiful fellowship must have existed during these days! The way God speaks here, it seems that it must have been a habit for Adam, Eve and God to get together in the evenings and walk together in the garden.
But this day, something was wrong. You’ve probably read the story -- Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, and look at the last half of the verse: "and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden."
Fellowship with God was broken -- they were driven out of the beautiful garden, and ever since that time, humans have not been born in a right relationship with God. No one, from that time on has ever been born with that close fellowship to God.
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wanted closer!
Presence of God outside the camp -
Ex 13:21-22 "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and b night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."
Wow! God’s showing himself to people and leading them in a visible form.
But God’s still outside the camp.
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
Presence of God on the mountain -
Ex. 19:10-12 "10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:"
That must have been amazing -- to see the presence of God on that mountain speaking to Moses. But there were limitations. A border was set up around the bottom of the mountain, and even the priests of the people were not allowed to go up into the mountain. So the people are where they can see God -- one man, Moses, is allowed to approach God and speak with Him -- it’s certainly better than total separation…
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
Presence of God within the Tabernacle -
Ex. 33:7 "And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp."
Never before has God has a place where His special Presence lives. Now, if you want to go where God is, you go to the tabernacle. If you want to worship him, you go to the tabernacle. Isn’t this wonderful?
Presence of God with us. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Now THIS is amazing! God must really WANT to be closer to human beings!
The Almighty God becomes a man, and steps from heaven to be born in a manger. Almighty God walks the roads that other men walk, he holds the children on his lap. He speaks to the crowds, heals the sick and raises the dead. He chooses men to be his special followers, and they spend three years literally walking and eating and talking and fellowshipping with God!
- Jesus tells the disciples they still have a need.
- He tells them to wait until the Holy Spirit has come upon them.
But wait -- what more could you possibly need? You’ve got a walking, talking Jesus here on earth. Why isn’t this enough?
There are still limitations. You can only get so close to Jesus. In the crowds that surrounded him, no doubt there were people who saw him, but never got to speak to him. It IS wonderful to have God right here in the middle of things.
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
Presence of God in us - Eph. 3:17, 5:18
How can you get any closer than having Jesus right there beside you? Jesus himself gave us the answer, just a short time before he left the earth.
John 14:17 "Even the Spirit of truth…ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
Wow! God’s spirit in us? Sure enough, we arrive in Acts 2, and we read this:
Acts 2:1-4 "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…"
But is this something that only the apostles could have? Eph. 5:18
What does it mean that the Holy Spirit comes to live within us? Eph. 3:17
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
Presence of God stronger in us - Phil. 3:10 "that I may know him"
But God isn’t satisfied with the way things are. God wants closer!
Presence of God in heaven -
Rev. 22:3-5 "And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
And finally -- God will be as close as He wants to be!!
APPLICATION
We’ve seen the progression of human history -- where we started, and how God has always desired to get closer to people. But here’s the crucial questions: Where are you at in this picture?
Many people are far from God, and trying to hide from Him, like Adam and Eve were after they sinned.
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
Many have seen God from a distance, but they feel like the people at the base of the mountain -- they feel like they can never really know that God who they see from a distance.
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
Some, like the ones who went to the tabernacle, have even come to the church, knowing they can be here where God’s special presence is. But they long to have more of Him -- more than just to be where He is, they want to really know HIM!
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
Other people have even invited Jesus into their lives, and have become his disciples -- his special followers. They have spent time walking and talking with Jesus. But somehow, they’ve never reached the point of fully surrendering their whole lives to Him, so that he’s made FULLY AT HOME. (Eph. 3:17)
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
Some have made that full surrender -- Jesus is completely at home in their lives, but they need to continue growing in grace. Perhaps God is showing them new areas of light to walk in, new ways that they can know Him better…
If that’s where you are, then I have good news… God wants closer!
And perhaps there are some who this year God would want to call home where He can wipe away every tear from their eyes, and they can see His face for all of eternity!
And that’s where we can all go because…God wants to be closer to you!
ALTAR CALL -
