Untitled Sermon

Walking in the garden

Genesis 3:8–13“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

They had perfect communion/fellowship with God and each other. Like crazy perfect, to the point of being able to walk around naked.

They messed it up. They were deceived. Willingly but deceived, what the enemy used was something that looked good, pleasurable, and was supposed to give them something that was awesome that they couldnt have walking in fellowship with the Lord. AKA walking in obedience.

This is gonna make me look good, or feel good, or bring me a fullfillment that I long for, that Gods keeping me back from.

Was it a good trade guys? The enemy completely deceived them. And we think from here that was dumb. Like what if I got Kyle to trade me trucks straight across? No payments just pink slips? I convinced him of how awesome my old truck was to the point that He was like yeah and was proud of His decision.

Boys what about that new job thats gonna make you a bunch of money so you can get this or that. Or what about that new slick truck you wanna get and if your working full time this summer you should just be able to make the payment. What a blessing that would be right! but what if the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you, I dont want you to. Do you ever stop and ask the Lord why? Not usually right? We dont seek to commune with Him, even though thats what He paid the price for to make possible. Especially when we feel like He doesnt want us to get our way. what He is saying is against our flesh.

But what if you said yes? What if you asked why? What if he said “I dont want you tied down with a payment, so that you can be free to go to a 5 month DTS with the Harrymans. And through that Im going to establish you spiritually in a way that will change the whole rest of your life. and Im going to introduce you to this incredibly beautiful girl who loves me with her whole heart, and you guys are gonna get married and be able to support and love each other in the callings that i have for your lives. and through that your gonna have some kids that are gonna be raised up knowing what its like to really lay down their lives for me and the gospel and I will use them to reach millions!” Or maybe it’s just you will meet her and you guys will have a beautiful little life faithfully loving me, and raising a beautiful little family. Did I mention that shes really beautiful? Like way prettier than your gonna get on your own? And you traded a truck for the Lords blessing?

Or what if you just know that you want to go down a path that the Lord doesnt approve of. you know its not right, its not ok, but you feel like its the only way you can go, the only way you will find the fullfillment that you long for. And the Lord is standing there “what about me?” “Am I not enough?” Do you really not believe that I can handle all of this? Sometimes its like we almost have to push the Lord out of the way to go where we want. Listen, if you push past the Lord to find fullfilment you will find deep and sorrowful regret. Nobody loves you like Jesus, and nobody or anything will ever be able to fill the longings of your life like Jesus.

What if girls He’s asking you to intentionally seek to not look like the world. To not present yourself like the world does. Well not what if right? He is, to all of us. But have you asked Him? What if two months from now that outfit that you know the Lord doesnt approve of, catches the eye of some guy, who comes up and is hot, hes got rizz, starts talking to you and chatting, and ends up being a half a life time of pain and regret. When the Lords plan was that as you said “yes” to Him in this one area, it would open up a closer walk with Him and He would take you down an amazing exciting fulfilling road with Him.

Hebrews 12:14-17

14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;

16 that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

He gets us to see things in a twisted deceived way.

And we sell our birthright. Usually not as dramatically right, just a little at a time. Little compromises. i will instagram or chat myself to sleep. Not read the word and pray before i shut it down for the day. I ignore the spirits prompting about this little decision or that one. They can pile together and snowball or sometimes its just a little piece of fruit. Its not bad, God put it there.

Why keep talking about personal holiness and sanctification? Why not talk about the gifts and operating in our callings? Or the never ending love of the Lord? One of the most important things that you can know and learn to do as a Christian is to walk in the spirit. To walk in intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit who lives in you if your a Christian. If your not a Christian you need to know about the love of God and Jesus’s sacrifice for your forgiveness. And that through that you can start an amazing relationship with the Lord. But once thats established once we are back in correct fellowship with Him, we must seek to stay in that place relationally with Him and to grow deeper in it. Why holiness?

Going after Holiness/Sanctification produces, strengthens, and protects intimate fellowship. And that fellowship is what Christ died for. Thats part of His inheritance, its us. Its real intimate relationship that seeks to know and be fully known. Him knowing everything about you is not the same as you confessing to Him and laying things bare and open yourself and asking for His help. You saying “that may be but the Lord hasnt spoken to me about it so im good” is not the same as going after Him for an answer. You living your life and expecting Him to just break in and tell you His will about everything is not the same as

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of aknowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and cthe fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as are aperfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

The enemy really likes to trick people into putting things off. I wll get serious about the Lord later. After I fill in the blank Thats a horrible plan! The dumbest! Hell is gonna be full of people who put Him off for a more convenient season.

Right now is the best time to get serious about the Lord.

Most if not all of us here in this room know what its like to stand before the Lord completely forgiven, everything surrendered, that we are aware of and to just be completely known and completely loved.

If you dont know what its like to have your sins forgiven and to know that everything is copecetic between you and God. You can. And if its been too long since youve been in that place with the Lord. That can change. For either group, never known it or its been too long. It can change, tonight. Right now even.

The Lord’s heart is that it be changed. That fellowship/relationship would be restored. That intimacy would be restored between you and Him.

To the point that He sent His son to die for that reality right? That God would dwell in us and with us.

Scripture about God being in us Romans 8?

The Lord’s heart if for relationship to be restored. and for us to walk in fellowship with Him and with each other.

Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”

When we are pursuing sanctification/holiness most of the time its a lot of small choices. A lot of small yes’s That end up leading us to a place of larger ones. Same is true usually the other way.

So what do we do? If intimacy, depth of relationship has been hurt or damaged because of compromises, choices, sins. We simply come to Him. We repent and we sign back up to be committed to all the little “yes’s” The Lord longs for us to fellowship with Him. To “walk and talk with us in the cool of the day in the garden” Jesus paid the price that we could come to Him and have that fellowship.

Why? Why draw near? Why seek holiness? Why sanctify ourselves? First answer is He is worthy. He is the only one who is. Through seeking Him to walk that out, we grown in depth of relationship with Him. 2. He loves you. and wants the very best for you. C. We dont give up our inheritance or blessing.

D. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Mt 7:21–23.

I never knew you. That word knew you is speaking intimately or deeply. Seeking a life of true Holiness is seeking a life of intimacy. Not seeking a list of dos and donts

Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

This is the heart cry of one seeking true holiness, to know and be known, to open ourselves up for inspection, and correction. And to trust the Lord to lead us.

To walk in fellowship, trusting that He has blessing now, and an inheritance to come.

But above all that is a heart that simply says “I want you Jesus. and then seeks Him no matter where it leads or what it costs” That He is the reward, the pearl of greatest price.