Drawing Near
Notes
Transcript
As our community, our nation and indeed the world face what the CDC and the World Health Organization has called a “pandemic” of the Corona Virus, we’re going to be meeting here online for the near future. I understand that some of you do not have access to the technology that others might have, and so I want to encourage you that understand such things, please help those that don’t. I also want to say that this is new to me. So each week might be a little bit different as we trudge up that steep learning curve and I move into the 21st century.
Thank you for joining us online. I know this is not what you had planned, and I know how much many of you look forward to being together each week. Our church is an amazingly loving family, and for many this is their weekly social interaction with dear friends they don’t have the opportunity to see any other time. My hope is that by all learning from God’s Word that we might still come together around our own family tables, perhaps by phone or even video chat and continue to learn and grow together.
Mission Woods is a Growing Place.
Growing closer to God, to one another, and to our community.
For the next couple of weeks our focus is likely to be growing closer to God as many of us have isolated ourselves to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Last week as we met together, during our prayer time, Carlyn, rose to share a passage of scripture with us. She read from Psalm 91 these words:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Let’s pray:
Drawing Near
Drawing Near
Holy God,
We know that you are in control, you remain on your throne. And we gather this morning in a very different way, than we are used to. We gather in a place that is not bound by time nor space. Many of those worshipping with us this morning are worshipping in other places. Some are no doubt listening to this outside our normal worship hour. And, so Lord, we’re reminded that your love knows no bounds. Time and space cannot contain you; nor can it prevent our access to you because you have opened the door and invited us in. You have provided us access to your very throne room through your loving grace extended to us through Jesus Christ. By his death and resurrection, the price for our sins was paid and the veil was torn, access was granted. Sovereign God, do not allow us to take this access lightly, but let us remember it was costly. We do not nullify your grace, O God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
In this time of separation, Father, may we draw near to you. Open your word to us now, we pray. In Jesus Name. AMEN!
In the midst of what we are all experiencing - the hoarding of hand sanitizer, water, and toilet paper - I still haven’t figure out what TP has to do with a bronchial virus - it would seem that our culture has odd places to put their trust.
The Psalmist writes:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
That phrase at the end of verse two is telling:
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Trust is an important part of our lives. There are news sources we trust, and those we don’t. There are companies we trust and those we don’t. There are people we trust, and those we don’t.
So how do we know who to trust?
Part of it is by testing. We take what we know of someone or something and we test it. It might be compared to climbing a tree. We might test a tree branch when climbing a tree - we test it first to see if it will support weight, then we test again to see if it will support our full weight - all the time holding on to other branches, “just in case.”
It really comes down to personal experience. And that personal experience is gained by interactions with the other party.
For the psalmist, he was confident to write:
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
There was a very personal understanding there. The psalmist had experienced God’s protection. There is a familiarity, a real sense of knowing that the Psalmist writes from. There was an intimacy there with God - one that most people do not know.
How do we develop an intimacy with God?
How can you and I get to know God on a deeper level?
Volumes have been written on this topic, and much more than I could even try to cover in the time we have today. Let me try and connect by sharing a brief story.
I recently read a story of a man named Dennis Wise, and avid Elvis Presley fan. His words of both passion and despair are striking:
“I loved Elvis. I followed him, his whole career. I have every album he has recorded, and seen every movie he’s made. I once even bought some boots when I was in Junior High School that looked just like his. The kids called them ‘fruit boots.’ But I didn’t care — they looked like Elvis.
Later I even got a face lift, and a hair contour like his. I have won Elvis look-alike contests, and wanted him to notice, so I would storm the stage during and after concerts he would do. I don’t think he ever saw me. I have ticket stubs from concerts. Elvis clippings from programs all over the world, and even some Elvis Pillows from Japan.
Yeah, Presley was, and is my idol. My only regret was…that I never really saw him…I mean, really saw him. Sure I went to concerts, but there was no contact. I once even climbed the walls around Graceland, the Presley mansion, to catch a glimpse of him. I think it might have been him that was walking through the house as I was looking through my binoculars. But…I never really saw him. It’s funny…all the effort I put in to following him — and I never could seem to get close.”
Maxwell, John C. One Hour With God, Injoy, Inc. ©1994 (Intimacy With God).
How often does our story sound like that of Dennis Wise when it comes to our relationship with God? Most people I know truly do desire to experience intimacy with God, but when they’re honest would share the words, “It’s funny, all the effort I put into following Him…and I never could seem to get close.”
Our Christians lives become a series of routines. We even become proud of ourselves for the ways in which we’ve mastered those routines through our own effort and sacrifice. Perhaps this is the blessing of this time?
We have time to be intentional about drawing near to God. In James we read,
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
There are several commands here:
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Submit to God - we don’t talk about this much, but how have you deliberately submitted to God’s will for your life today? Take some time to think about it. Write it down. I submit ______________________ to God.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Resist the devil. Contrary to my all those trekkies out there, Resistance is not futile. That may be a good line in science fiction, but it’s not truth from scripture.
In resisting the devil, we have to spend some time examining what it is that we’re doing or being enticed to do. Is this of God, or is this of the devil? Is this in obedience to God, or is this me following my sinful desires? Be honest.
If it’s of God then enjoy it.
If it’s your sinful heart drawing you that direction - turn to God. Pray, read Scripture. Focus on God. It’s difficult for us to sin when we’re focused on the One who is the antithesis of sin.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Okay, there are three here:
Draw near to God.
Cleanse your hands.
Purify your hearts.
Intimacy with God cannot simply be a Sunday thing. It’s a day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute thing. Paul exhorts us to pray without ceasing.
It’s a life fully submitted to God. Finally, James says:
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
These words were also a popular worship song back in the day.
Solomon wrote in Proverbs: “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud; but humility comes before honor.” Prov 18:12.
To bow down, and remember who it is that is on The Throne is part of what will get us through this time of crisis. God is with us, and God is with you.
We began with the words from Psalm 91 of God’s protection. I want to end with these words from Paul to the church at Philippi:
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
May God’s peace fill you beyond your own understanding, and guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.