How To Approach God

Introduction

Luke 19:28–40

“And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said, The Lord hath need of him. A

nd they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

((Talk about mom and dad teaching me to respect the house of God.))

((My brothers would have to pick their own switch))

((Talk about the scripture we read and how the disciples treated Jesus like royalty))

David had Solomon ride his donkey when he was going in to be crowned king

This moment also fulfilled prophecy in Zechariah 9 that the messiah would be riding upon a colt

Similar to 2 Kings 9 when Jehu is proclaimed as King, people spread their garments before Jesus as He comes into the city

This was all ROYAL treatment

Their perspective of Jesus was aligned with the position of Jesus.

People were finally understanding that he was more than just a man.

We must come to the same type of realization

Jesus is more than a fun idea. Jesus is not just a great story that some old man wrote about over a thousand years ago.

But Jesus is real, He is God and he wants to have a relationship with me so that I can spend eternity with Him

So as a person who believes in God, we must know how we should approach God!

This sounds like a simple thought, and it should be obvious. However, some times our actions show that we don’t always approach or treat God with the right perspective.

So tonight we are going to talk about some ways and things to do that will help us in making sure we are approaching God in the right manner.

Get Rid of Indifference

Indifference - lack of interest, concern, or feeling toward something or someone. It is a state of being unmoved, unconcerned or not caring much either way.

Revelation 3:15

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.”

Amos 6:1

“Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…”

the prophet warns those here who are comfortable while ignoring the spiritual decline around them.

((talk about indifference in the church))

We cannot afford to be indifferent towards moves of God in our lives! If God is going to move on us it will happen because we showed Him that we desire that!

Elijah was not indifferent when going against the prophets of Baal

The woman with the issue of blood was not indifferent about touching Jesus’ garment.

Blind Bartimaeus was not indifferent,

the Roman centurion was not indifferent,

the ten lepers were not indifferent,

the four friends of the paralytic were not indifferent,

the syrophoenician woman was not indifferent

Zachaeus was not indifferent!

I MUST HAVE A TOUCH OF GOD

Show God You Love Him

Luke 11:9–10

“And I say unto you, 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.”

We have an opportunity to get God’s attention by simply knocking, asking, and seeking

James 4:8

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Psalm 27:4

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.”

((talk about hunting)) ((you can’t kill anything sitting on the couch))

You won’t get anything from God until you make a MOVE toward HIM. HE IS A GENTLEMAN

You must INVOLVE yourself in the pursuit of GOD

IN WORSHIP (expound)

IN PRAYER & FASTING

IN MINISTRY (expound)

Fear God

Ecclesiastes 12:12

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

FEAR - a posture of deep reverence, awe, honor, and humble submission to God's holiness, power, justice, and authority.

The fear of the Lord is like the the respect and awe of a child who loves and honors a good father and does not want to dishonor him.

That same same respect that drives that you have when your mom says ‘wait til your dad gets home’ is the same type of honor that is to be given toward God

Proverbs 9:10

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: And the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

Philippians 2:12

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

My perspective towards God can crucially affect my eternal salvation

It’s easier to let go of something you grow callus towards

We must learn to treat the things of God with the right perspective

Not a perspective of fear of punishment or anything like that

But a perspective that give me the sense of God’s realness, His sovereignty, and that He knows me and wants a relationship with me