Encounter, Part 1: Make Your Home Here // Pastor David Spiegel

Because I believe through prayer and I'm not I'm not trying to prop something up. I'm not trying to throw something out there. That would just be this thing. What are truly truly believe is that for 2019 the word that God has given me is encounter. I don't know. We need an encounter with God. Don't forget the New Year's resolutions. The question I want to throw out to you today is what do you want to be known for in 2019? You want to be known as someone that went all out to be happy? Or do you want to be known as someone who went all out pursuing a god encounter?

She was a difference between the two. Does your resolution that you have for this new year? Does it look like more like a Christmas toy list? Or inspired petition towards heaven.

Cuz that resolution is at the top of your list that thing that you want to do different for 2019 actually says a whole lot about you.

And I believe that many people that call themselves followers of Christ really do so, honestly. I believe there are many of us that are here that are thankful for their salvation. I'm not belittling that at all, but I also believe there are many that don't necessarily live their lives with a sense of connection to God.

When I say what I owe praying the prayer, I believe that I'm saying, that's great. And that's what I want on that step one. That's not the finish line.

But we should have another we should be thankful for that. But we also should be have a sense that I want to have a connection with God. So we can study we can train we can discuss all the things that we should do is a true follower.

But there has to be more to it than walking through this life by willpower alone.

At some point your question that you should ask yourself. Is this, how can I get past this thing being just a discipline to the point of it being a passionate Pursuit?

cuz we know I was She'll be my daughter-in-law was talking last night about how that she made a resolution and she was going to get into the gym and do some things for this year, and that's a great resolution. But she also made the comment how the lot of her friends told her not to be be warned. The gyms are going to be very full this time of year with all these people that it made a determination that they're going to get their bodies back in order and it's going to be crowded and you going to face that but if you wait a couple weeks battle begin to die off

So we have great Ambitions have great ideas. But if we try to make it by willpower alone, eventually that will fail us. I believe that every person truly needs to encounter. There is a reason that that is our first statement on our vision statements. Because it all starts with a god encounter.

So look up the definition of the word encounter. What do we mean? We throw that out there what means to meet or engage means to come upon face-to-face or to experience sometimes even with a sense of unexpectancy? run expectedly

Yeah, we should seek and I wish I could push for an account or God. I know there were just those times that you show up and you think it's just going to be a normal everyday Sunday if you think your prayer time if you have one if you don't have a part-time get one. You think it's just going to be this normal? Thanks, but all sudden you get there and then all the sudden there is this encounter with God and you feel his presence. And is this unexpected presence and things happened in that moment? Last Sunday for those who they were here. We had dr. Goel Jones over here not because I was transitioning the service I made this statement.

But I want to challenge us for this new years were talking about account of her talking about these things. I want to challenge us to raise our level of expectancy.

Because he helped what do we do? We we we would get up and I'm not trash anybody would get ready. We begin to think through. I'm going to go to church. And then after that, I hope they don't go too long cuz I want to do this this this and this.

Do we have it all planned out? Maybe on your this list is a nice long afternoon nap. I understand that. We have busy lives, but there should be something we raise our level of expectancy. What if as a church we decide to know what I am going to church today because I'm going to have an encounter with God expect God to be there in expect things to happen.

It will begin to pray that way we going to act that way. We can push ourselves that way not just for a church services been in her own everyday lives.

So that leaves me my texts today John 14 22 through 23.

Says this then Judas not Judas Iscariot said but Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world Jesus replied if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching my father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Let that sink in for a moment. She in our checks will receive we find Jesus talking with this. And he's talking about his relationship with the heavenly father. He's talking about how that his purpose was to provide a way back to the father through will relationship through a restored relationship. And it goes on to say that that because of that when I go I am going away for a time. But when I do I will send the counselor. I will send the comforter. My father was in the comfort of my come father will send. The Advocate see the Holy Spirit has many names and scripture

So Jesus what he was doing here was he was speaking to his closest followers, and he was trying to raise the level of spiritual expectation. Because best is facing the disciples at this point, they had expectations but had expectations of an Earthly Kingdom. Their expectations that Jesus and come along to set the political climate, right?

We still have people today that are caught up in that deal. That's about Jesus's is going to come and set the political climate. Right? We get the encounter climate right in the political climate will take care of itself.

Even though the disciples were getting to know Jesus better personally and they had Jesus with them. It was very evident that they really didn't have a connection with the father. They really didn't. In the purpose of it all. Is why is this important? Why believe that many times people can call themselves Christians today by the fact to be honest with you. I am one. But that name is been so missed you and I really prefer to refer to myself as a Christ follower. There's a difference.

In it, we may call ourselves that If we're honest many who say I'm a Christian. I'm a Christ follower don't really have a connection with the father.

You don't feel a closeness to God. And it's evident cuz you here questions. Like where is God? How can I really know God? Because you like can you really hear his voice?

What Jesus tells us that his sheep know his voice? So, yes, we can really hear his voice. There is a closeness that is available. And I believe that all of this is made pretty clear by Genesis statement where he says. Why do you not show it? Why do you show yourself to us and not to the world? Now don't you understand these disciples are not bad people, but they still had a little bit of that Earthly Kingdom in mind.

And Jesus one of them to shift their thinking already wanted to shift their thinking from the Earthly realm to the spiritual Eternal Kingdom. How's the ship that they needed to make? Is today the first message of the series that were talking about encounter. I've give it to title make your home here.

The second verse 23 again cuz this is the text. They were really going to work from today if you get anything right this verse down. But effective written it down for you, and I'm going to give you one in just a little bit. John 14:23 says this Jesus replied speaking in reply to the question that was asked if anyone loves me he will obey my teaching my father will love him. And we will come to him and make our home with him.

Is Monday morning? I was doing my private devotion this week and I cannot take it to heart what Doctor Jones challenged us to do this last Sunday when he made the statement pick one versus a week and memorize that through the course the week and at the end of the year, you will have 52 verses memorized.

I thought you I spend a lot of time and gods were but I can't say that identify a verse each week that I'm going to memorize so I took it upon myself. They know what I'm going to do that. Besides going through my Bible study Monday morning. I was kind of praying myself is just as my normal reading I said Lord, can I show me a passage of scripture? They can be the one for this week for me to memorize and this first right here when I read it. It just says if it jumped off the page to me. It's this verse I'll be honest with this you can ask him. This verse is consumed me this week. And as I thought about these things I ask myself. What is it? We truly want from God for 2019.

And this question came to mind. Do we want God to make it home with us?

We will come to him and will make our home with him. But the question is do we really want that?

So here's a thought I want you to write down.

Is happiness more important than habitation?

Is happiness more important than habitation?

Cuz what are we do we live in a world where people all the time saying you and I'm shifting this thing in my whole life. I'm blowing up my family. I'm making all these changes her sad because I'm not happy.

What is happiness more important than habitation? Do we love God or is Earthly happiness the idle we placed before him.

Think about that. So the first point on get you the first thing to me that jumped out of this versus was the statement that Jesus made basically he said true love equals obedience.

Me Jesus is answering. Jesus is answering judas's question with this and the first thing out of his mouth is if you love me, you will obey my teaching.

C2 love and true love and obedience work hand-in-hand and God truly make no mistake. God longs to dwell with us. But we must love him enough in return for to obey.

But if we're honest. Many as many of us have pet sins that we don't want to love him enough to a bay.

God I'll give you this much holiday to this point, but don't ask for this from me. Or maybe it's something that's not even a Ascend per se but it's something that has been an anchor that has been holding you back and the Holy Spirit is spoke to you about that and he himself why may not be a sin that you can prove in scripture. The Holy Spirit has made it very clear to you that this is something you need to set aside for a season in your life. But out of disobedience.

You don't love him quite that much to a bay.

I think you think about it was until after Jesus was crucified and rose again. And you send it was seated at the right hand of the father and the son and God followed through and sent the Holy Spirit. It was until all that happened.

until the disciples encounter the resurrected Christ Did they finally got it? Do they finally shifted from the ideal Earthly Kingdom to the spiritual Kingdom?

But yet here we are today and we're on the right side of those events. We have all the scripture written down. We have these stories to go by we have these things that we can look back on this half of world us this side of all that we are supposed to be those that are filled with the Holy Spirit.

And yet what are we see? So many times I'm convinced that far too. Many sermons are based on the your best life now principal.

how

to build your kingdom hear messages

We want prosperous lives and I'm not any different trust me. There are times. I'm looking at my mouth starts a check Burger. That's kind of. Not the norm anymore looking on the screen.

And I'm praying Lord. I could use a little more a couple of more zeros behind that number there. then we are there right and we need those things in life, but

Jesus is trying to change the thinking of his disciples. And we really have to get back to that place. We understand that there is a thinking and needs to shift in our lives to because too many times just like the disciples. Jesus is trying to speak and our lives. Jesus wants to have at 8 our lives. He wants to make his home with us, but we're so focus on the here and the now and the your best life now process that we don't even see it.

We're caught up pursuing happiness.

Thing is God longs to bless us. There is no doubt about it. And if you're following him and you're sold out to him, there is Earthly blessings that is connected to that without a doubt.

But that can't be our focus. Our Focus has to be the Eternal not the temporary. So, where does your true love lie? Because the truth is most people want happiness more than holiness.

Most people want salvation more than sanctification. In other words, we tend to focus on the temporary over the Eternal wheel of this world too much.

We want our sins washed away and we want them forgotten, but we don't really want to be cleansed and purified.

I can tell this is hitting home cuz you're quiet.

Our greatest prayer in 2019 should be Lord help us to truly fall in love with you and new Lord. Let me love you enough to produce a consistent byproduct of obedience of my life. Tell me the truly encounter Your Love.

And more than come and make your home here with us. There should be something in us that is longing for that.

matter fact

if we don't want God to make it home with us. There's a problem. There's a problem.

Which leaves the next verse John 14:24? He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you here or not my own they belong to the father who sent me. She made no mistake. There's consequences for failure to loved to the point of obedience.

We love talking about his grace and I thank God for his grace is compassionate is so evident. Just the fact that he would send his son to lay down his life so that we could be saved. That's incredible and we preach that it we're good and we Embrace that idea. But I think we also forget the God is a God of Justice.

And just because we're living in a time of God's grace doesn't mean that there isn't a judgement to come.

What are the dangers of any love relationship is taking the other person for granted?

You can become so comfortable that you fail to appreciate the value of the other person. Do we get to take certain privileges for granted? And we do things knowing that it's going to hurt the other person but we do with the idea all they'll get over it.

Come on, there's not a husband in here that has a thought that at some point. or white for that matter

I'm going to do this. Anyway, I know they're not going to like it, but they'll get over it.

And it's bad enough we do that with people but they cows Saturday is when we do that with Christ and His Amazing Grace.

Yes, she'll forgive us but should we eat for really love him should we approach and say you know what I'm going to do this anyway cuz I'm going to ask and he's going to forgive me and he'll get over it

But we do this would do this with his Amazing Grace in The Gift of Salvation is that is absolutely amazing and we are saved through Grace. We are saved through faith, but that doesn't mean we should take it for granted. Cuz if we do what we're doing we're cheapening God's grace we cheap in the work of Christ on the cross. God loves us and he wants good things for us. We're not to take his gifts for granted. We should never ever ever be okay with breaking his heart.

God gives us best us. We shouldn't cheap in it for our own purposes.

We must never assume we can do as we please and remain in good standing.

I'm a book about this one up on the screen. Are we not cheaper than his grace? We want to be saved from hell, but not from our sin.

Imma, let that sink in.

What are we safe from hell?

But too many times are really going to be delivered from our sin.

We want the Monopoly get out of hell free card.

We should be praying. They would never take the gift of your salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus lightly. May I never be guilty of cheapening your grace May our abeyance come from a place of true appreciation of what was done for us?

Why did Jesus what did Jesus say would happen if we loved in that much?

I'm going to read this part of him. My father will love him. And we will come to him and make our home with him. That ought to be the thing that we put up somewhere and we put it in big letters and we say this is my goal.

Steve's me the fart number 2 out of this make welcome.

Do we want God to make his home with us enough to get our house in order?

I don't know about you.

but if you just pop in and pop by

We live on our house. Our house is lived in. It is not a show place. Everything is not in perfect order all the time.

But for those of you that have been invited over for events that usually is preceded by pretty much a full day of getting the house in order because we know guests are coming over.

If we really want Christ to make his home with us. If we really want him to have at 8 our lives there ought to be a little bit of cleaning for our special guests. We oughta make welcome and I want you to notice it what we read. It says the word we and our

No, we're just talking about God the Father God the son and God the Holy Spirit making his home with us.

Just look at verse 25 and 26. All this I have spoken while still with you, but the counselor The Advocate the comforter depending on your translation or where you're hearing this conversation take place in the Gospels. It says then he says the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name will teach you all things and we remind you of everything I have said to you.

we need the godhead all of him habitating our lives

We should live to make the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit at home in our lives.

You know the Jesus now seated at the right hand of the father. We know that he fulfilled the promise and that God the Father after he was resurrected and went to listen to have him that he sent the Holy Spirit just like you said that all those things happen if there's still some questions that need to be answered. We're not without help but the real thing that we need to answer and I what I really want to get to today is do we really want God to move in.

Cuz when he moves in things change. If you want your life to stay just like it's always been.

Then you really don't want him to move in.

I know I'm meddling today.

But do we really want to encounter God?

Do we want God to make his home with us or is happiness more important than habitation?

Is happiness more important than habitation?

My goal is to pray. I've been praying more. Let us truly be a Spirit-filled people. Holy Spirit teaches Holy Spirit, correct us remind us to follow your word and then get us as a people Holy Spirit and counters with you. Lord Make This Place Encounter of your spirit what make this place an encounter of your spirit?

Cuz she has we all want happiness, but I wouldn't dare say this.

What we really want is a Home of Peace. What is my third point?

We may think our greatest desire is happiness. But in reality our greatest desires true. Peace.

First 27 is removed wrap this up.

Jesus in response to that question that you just asked his peace I leave with you my peace. I give you I do not give to you as the world gives do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

I want his peace to reside in my life.

cuz happiness comes and goes the peace can still be there even when it's not a happy day.

We live in a world is in desperate need of peace.

Not the pursuit of escapism that we've is substituted for. Peace. Everything we do is just to escape reality for a. Of time. But the problems are still there. The junk is still there the sins still there.

The lack of peace is still there. You just unplugging and escaping for. I don't want escapism. I want his peace to reside in my life. I want true God giving peace where I can sing songs Like It Is Well with My Soul and mean it

Only then can we live without fear only then can we have a joy-filled life and joy and happiness are two different things.

What I want your peace. The counterfeit peace at the world offers.

Apart from God there is no peace. In the truth is He Loves Us way too much to leave us alone.

And we ought to be thankful for that.

We should never say God. Leave me alone.

Never was dangerous words you could speak.

We should pray Lord. Give us your peace. Let our hearts be captured by the depth of Your Love.

Help us. See past The Strife in the troubles this world and the lure of counterfeit. Peace. Let us look past the idea of escapism. Let us walk with a confidence a full Trust. And the kiss piece? in his Joy

and all the while is we live this life as you get this picture.

the idea

God has moved into our lives. rbr greatest desire

I was reminded I was recently given something it was.

How many know there are people that that you? You may come to you and say God. spoke to me you're like, okay. We'll see this hurt.

But then there are some people that just have a track record. appearing from God and speaking truth

I was recently handed something pretty private. But there's anything on there that I wouldn't share but I don't feel like I should.

Blue rose is a list of some things that God had spoken to an individual in the church you that I trust has a track record of hearing the Holy Spirit. It was handed to me. That's what I was told about received it as an email. When I open the document going to read through it. My jaw dropped as like, okay, this person's been sitting in my prayer closet.

in one of the comments that made

Is there such things that I've been praying very specific things I've been asking God for.

mostly concerning the church you guys

in the whole thing started off with a question the really kind of lines up with this. Or you sure?

Basically you're praying. But are you sure?

What's great? I'm paraphrasing here. What does give me a cost?

He's going to be incredibly rewarding.

But you're going to have to live outside your comfort zone.

I have to be honest. I took that and all the stuff that was there and really begin to read through it and pray through it and and had to ask myself sometimes am I sure?

Cuz just like you I like being comfortable.

There are things I want God to do but you know what? I have a great relationship with almost everybody here.

It's comfortable. It's good. We like each other. Mostly, I think.

But forgot encounter God if he's really going to move in. We have to answer that question. Are we sure?

Because it's going to require some things.

That are going to be uncomfortable. It's going to require some steps of faith.

Sweet ask ourselves. Are we sure? Just so you know after pondering away and everything is on that for a while.

I sit down with the Lord and I said Lord. I'm sure.

I can't say no to your presents. I can't say no to your kingdom advancing. I can't say no to you working in my life and changing me even if it's uncomfortable.

I can't. So Lord. Yes, I'm sure.

Move do what you got to do.

That brings me to wrap this up this morning for get some music.

Some challenging questions. I think we all have to consider.

Do we want him to move into our lives?

Do we really and truly want that?

Do we want him to move into our church?

Cuz if he does.

things are going to change here to

and we kind of like things when we are or they are we like our seats were they are?

But are we ready to love him to the point of encounter? to the point of encountering God

Are we?

Are you sure?

Question we got to answer.