Seeking God
Notes
Transcript
And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
Geocaching took America by storm several years ago and was a phenomenon that had children and adults alike searching for hidden treasure.
In this system you would take GPS (Usually a cell phone) and search for treasures that had been hidden by someone else. You would see individuals lurking around businesses, light poles, and street signs, in search of their find.
Once found you would sign your name, take a prize and leave something else in its place. I remember taking the girls and searching in the bushes at an elementary school in Georgia, certain that I was about to need to explain my predicament to a curious police officer.
I. Seeking For Discernment
I. Seeking For Discernment
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
We should always seek God.
Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
A. There must be a genuine relationship.
A. There must be a genuine relationship.
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
You can not merely act like a Christian, or claim to be one.
There must be an authentic genuine faith.
Salvation is not something we claim, it is something we are. It is not of our works, but it must be genuine.
B. There must be a reliance on truth.
B. There must be a reliance on truth.
The Urim and Thummim were jewels that were wore on the Ephod of the High Priest.
Although little is know about them, it is thought hat they were jewels that were above inscriptions of yes/no right/wrong and would light up to reveal the answer. Jewish tradition states that only priest or kings could consult it and that the pettioner would face the high priest who would also face the shekinah glory.
Urim- Light/Cursed
Thummim- Perfection/Innocent
“So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually.
And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.
David used it.
Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
II. Seeking For God’s Appointed Person
II. Seeking For God’s Appointed Person
The first step to determine Gods will is to make sure we are seeking godliness.
The question concerning the Urim and Thummim is why could Jeshua not use them to discern the outcome?
There is no clear answer in Scripture, but it is said that there is a probability that Jeshua was not the first born son, and therefore could not fully fill the role of the High Priest. Therefore, they would have to wait. It seems that there was an anticipation that the practice would soon be restored, yet history teaches that it was never again brought into practice.
The next time that mankind would have a clear answer from God, God himself would come and live among us.
All to the great tribunal haste, the account to render there,
And shouldst thou strictly mark our faults, Lord, how should we appear.
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
The Governor knew how to find God’s will, he just was not able.
We do not have to wait for the person. He has already come.
III. Seek God’s Appointed Plan
III. Seek God’s Appointed Plan
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The governor knew how to determine Gods
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
A. Pursue godliness
A. Pursue godliness
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
B. Wait for His plan
B. Wait for His plan
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
In The NT waiting is primarily used in two ways.
It is reference to the OT saints who waited on God
It is for the church to wait on the return of Jesus.
C. Faithfully adhere to His plan
C. Faithfully adhere to His plan
a. Produce good fruit
a. Produce good fruit
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
b. Do good works
b. Do good works
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
c. Follow in the steps of Jesus
c. Follow in the steps of Jesus
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: