Searching For Hidden Treasure
Steps to Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
What is eternal life?
To Know God...
Let’s Ponder another verse:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Reject from heaven
why?
God didn’t know them.
One more:
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Paul’s desire?
to know God.
How?
Nature
Bible Study
Prayer
Meditation
Journaling
Praise
Music
Nature
Nature
All Nature
trees,
rivers
lakes
flower
bird
star
Testify about creator
Testify about creator
Nature Reminds
God is creator
God is provider
The poet and the naturalist have many things to say about nature, but it is the Christian who enjoys the beauty of the earth with the highest appreciation, because he recognizes his Father’s handiwork and perceives His love in flower and shrub and tree.
Bible Study
Bible Study
Stories
learn lessons.
Characters
just like us
same struggles
failures
victories
Goal:
To Know Jesus
Study Bible
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
Living Bread
Living Bread
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
He Explains
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
Natural and Spiritual
What we eat
Grows us.
Meditation
Meditation
Not Eastern
Not Yoga Breathing
Not clearing mind.
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Don’t just read.
Think about it.
Raluca and I Study
Process through it.
Think about it at work.
Talk about it
Share your study
Study Personally.
Not Just Listen
Not Just Watch
Let others walk for you?
No!
Then don’t
let them study for you!
If God’s word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose rarely seen in these times.
Study Deeply
Study Deeply
Superficial Reading
Little value.
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
How to Find God…?
Seek like treasure!
Geocaching
Jesus Parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
What do we learn?
Back then
no banks.
burried account
In field.
Why not found before?
Nobody plowed there before
Or
Dug deeper than others.
One passage studied until its significance is clear to the mind and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, is of more value than the perusal of many chapters with no definite purpose in view and no positive instruction gained. - SC 90
How to Study
with Prayer
with Spirit
Deeply
Diligently
Sincerely
Prayer
Prayer
Bible Study
We hear God
Prayer
We speak back.
Conversation
communion.
How to pray...
How do you talk?
God wants
Openess
Sincerity
Jesus Prayer life
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.
Another Example:
In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
Jesus Prayer Life
Committed
Habitual
Earnest
Necessity
Privilege
Can we pray like that?
Disciples Said
“teach us to pray like that!”
Conditions
Conditions
What is the difference?
Jesus took our flesh.
He was human.
Condition 1: Feel Our Need
Condition 1: Feel Our Need
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
Who gets water from God
Thirsty People.
We must realize our need.
Most People
Don’t really want to.
Think they are ok.
Condition 2: Repentance
Condition 2: Repentance
We must want
cleansing from sin.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
and
but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
The Bible is clear.
God will not listen
to the unrepentant.
We are sinners
but we must
desire
and seek
forgiveness
righteousness.
Otherwise,
God can’t help.
Condition 3: Faith
Condition 3: Faith
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Do we take Him at His word?
Condition 4: His Will
Condition 4: His Will
We must ask
“accoring to His will.”
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
What does that mean?
We submit
to God’s plan.
So often,
we come to God
with expected outcome...
Please give me ________.
Or secretly wanting _________.
God does not
work like that.
Pray only begins
when we surrender
what we want.
Example:
Prayer for healing...
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
His will means
likely, not my will!!!
Because we are
narrow sighted.
God give us
our best good.
If we could see
as He does
we would choose.
Condition 5: Dependance
Condition 5: Dependance
Come to God
like you are
hopeless without Him!
God is
the only way.
God wants
sincerity
dependance.
Condition 6: Forgiving Heart
Condition 6: Forgiving Heart
Lord’s Prayer:
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
We are forgiven
to the extent
that we forgive!!!
Condition 7: Perseverance
Condition 7: Perseverance
Don’t pray once
and say,
“I guess it wan’t God’s will.”
God wants perseverance.
pray without ceasing,
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Brothers, pray for us.
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Why?
Because He likes
to see us beg?
No, not for Him.
for us...
We come closer
as we have need
and continue in prayer.
Those who love God
will want to pray
want to talk to Jesus
as often as possible.
They will also
take every chance
to pray more.
Family Pray
morning and night
Personal Pray
specific time
continually
Group prayer
Morning Prayer Call
Prayer Meeting
Ladies Group
At work
At Church
All are important
The greatest
secret, personal prayer.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Have a time for prayer.
This teaches you
to pray continually.
Hermit or Monk?
He who does nothing but pray will soon cease to pray, or his prayers will become a formal routine. - SC 101
Spend time together.
encourage each other.
pray together.
Some say:
how can we pray without ceasing?
You talk about what you like.
As Jesus said:
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
You talk about
what you like
what interests you.
What do you talk about
Sports
Family
Work
Education
Jesus
If your heart is filled
with Jesus
you will talk
about Him
and to Him.
This is not
burden
complicated
It is a heart thing.
Condition 8: “In My Name”
Condition 8: “In My Name”
Jesus said:
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
What does that mean?
At this phrase
at end of all prayers?
No… more than that.
God said,
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Why?
Jews don’t read Yaweh
What is the principle?
Don’t say OMG
yes...
but more...
What ist he Lord’s name?
If I said,
“I don’t want this to ruin
MY GOOD NAME.”
What does that mean?
Reputation
Character
To pray
“in the name of Jesus”
means:
to pray
“in the character of Jesus.”
What does that mean?
But to pray in the name of Jesus is something more than a mere mention of that name at the beginning and the ending of a prayer. It is to pray in the mind and spirit of Jesus, while we believe His promises, rely upon His grace, and work His works. - SC 100
Praise and Thanks
Praise and Thanks
10 lepers
They all got
what they wanted.
One got
what he wanted
and
what God wanted.
We spend
too much time
with requests.
Spend more time
praising
thanking.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
He is Waiting
He is Waiting
Each day,
God is waiting
to meet with you
personally.
Don’t keep Him waiting.