Drawing Near to God

A Breakthrough Approach

Luke 15:17 KJV 1900

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

A Breakthrough

++A mark of change

++A divine encounter

++A coming to oneself

This man didn’t realize what he had until he lost it all.

He had a breakthrough

We need a Breakthrough

When we face mountains in our life.

We need a breakthrough

When we reach the end of our ability

We need a breakthrough

Drawing Near to God

Our Greatest breakthrough is in our nearness to God

Approaching a Holy God

++Purity

++Prayerfully

++Reverently

Exodus 19:17–21 KJV 1900

17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.

Mountains were

++High places on earth

++Treacherous

++Hard to reach

Earthly Elements

++Fire

++Blackness

++Darkness

++Tempest

Alarms

++Trumpet blast

++Unspeakable voice

Restricted access

++Fear

++Life threatening

Beyond the threshold

++Fearful sight

++Mountains quaked at the sight

This was the approach for Moses.

To live under the law is

++a hard an treacherous road

++to be reminded of our sin

++to be fully aware of God's hostility to sin

++to recognize we can never meet his standards

The writer of Hebrews tells us

++This is not our approach

++Fear became the template

Hebrews 12:18–24 KJV 1900

18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Christ Has given us Access

By Him we have

++Boldness in approaching

Hebrews 4:15–16 KJV 1900

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Mark 15:37–38 KJV 1900

37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

By Him we have

Boldness in approaching

++Access to Grace

Romans 5:2 KJV 1900

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

By Him we have

Boldness in approaching

Access to Grace

++Access to the Father

Ephesians 2:18 KJV 1900

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

We can now Come to God.

Genesis 17:1 KJV 1900

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.