Intimacy with Christ

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME

Good Morning

Thank you for joining us online

LONGING - INTIMACY WITH GOD

Do you long for a close relationship with Jesus?

If you could take a walk with him around your neighborhood?

Share your heart with him and see the expression on his face as you talked?

Today’s passage is going to speak about one way we can have that kind of relationship - it’s not the only way - but it is one important way.

The reality is - this isn’t some secret hidden knowledge.

We don’t need to learn something new this morning - we need to have our motivation fanned into a flame.

For example...

WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNEY

For the past several years I’ve had the same conversation with my doctor as my blood pressure rose in partnership with my weight.

6 months would pass and I would go back to the doctor a little heavier with increasing blood pressure.

She put me on blood pressure medication and gave me some simple instructions:

Exercise and eat healthier

6 more months passed and the weight crept highers.

Exercise and eat healthier

Here’s my problem:

I like junk food, I eat when I’m stressed, and I didn’t feel like exercising

The weight increased - Just because I knew what to do didn’t have any impact.

In December of last year I stepped on the scale after thanksgiving and saw a number on the scale I swore I would never see yet - there they were. I knew I was getting big but not that big…

Something in me switched.

I was disgusted with where I had found myself and determined to change.

As of this week I’ve lost over 50 lbs.

Why did I tell you this?

I didn’t need new information

I desperately needed a renewed motivation.

TODAY’S GOAL

This is my prayer for you - for us - this morning?

That God would ignite a spark inside us that would fan into a flame a passion for personal intimacy with Jesus.

Indifferent, sleepy, casual Christian would be shaken from complacency

Cultural Christian - the one professes Christian beliefs, subscribes to Christian ethics, maybe even baptized and serving in the church but they have never personally placed their faith and truth in Jesus would do so today.

READ 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-7:1

SPIRITUAL MONOGAMY

“DO NOT BE UNEQUALLY YOKED...” (6:14)

I grew up in Church and I always understood this phrase to mean one thing… - a Christian should not marry a non-christian”

BUT to minimize these verses to a singular application is a gross misunderstanding of what the Apostle Paul is saying here to the christians in Corinth. .

It is not a wrong application but it is overly limited.

Paul is calling Christians to separate themselves from certain things, so they can experience greater closeness with God.

The Corinthians were listening to false teachers and their hearts were becoming closed to Paul and the true gospel he proclaimed.

Paul is talking about separating from those who opposed the gospel of Jesus.

Unbelievers who worshipped wealth and health and an easy, comfortable life without suffering or hardships.

Paul is challenging them - that they can not continue to flirt with darkness and remain in the light at the same time.

Purpose: Right relational purity if we are to know the lord’s presence in our midst.

“YOKED”

Don’t put to animals together (Leviticus 19:19) - prohibition on mixing different things together

Cross-bread livestock

two different crops in same field

don’t mix fabric

purpose: living picture of separation

Deut. 22:11 “You shall not plow with a calf (clean) and donkey (unclean)”

Ox and Chihuahua - don’t make any sense

This would be foolish

This same absurdity is true when Jesus followers gives themselves to sin and darkness.

“YOKED, PARTNERSHIP, ACCORD, PORTION, SHARE, AGREEMENT”

6 ways of asking the same thing - saying the same thing.

You as a Christian - there are some things to which you belong and there are some things to which you should not belong.

Do not be intimately connected/partnered with an unbeliever

CONTRAST

(Partnership) Righteousness & Lawlessness

Pure, true and holy (doing in relationship with) impure, false, and sinful

(Fellowship) Light & Darkness

Can darkness remain in the presence of light

No, darkness flees - why then do you think you can walk with God in the light while you dwell in the darkness of your own sin?

(Accord) Christ & Belial

This is a name for satan that means worthless, extreme wickedness and destruction

Putting the treasure of Christ, the pearl of great price connected on the same necklace as a rusted tin can.

(Agreement) Temple of God & Idols

The temple is where the presence of the one, true, and living God resided.

Paul has already told the Corinthians in his first letter that when people pray to false Gods they are actually praying to demons.

So who wants to be the person carry an idol into the temple of God?

WHY - TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD

Why does the Apostle Paul say that Christians/Believers – should separate themselves from certain things.

“FOR WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD...”

If we fully understood what Paul was saying our brains would be melting”

Paul isn’t talking about the idea of the temple, he isn’t talking about the building - the word Paul uses refers to the Holy of Holies, the innermost part of the temple.

It was a perfect cube and housed the ark of the covenant

This is where the presence of God dwelt

Only one high priest could enter behind the thick curtain thick as a man’s hand, 60 feet high and 30 feet wide- . once a year

This curtain was a barrier of separation and safety. To enter God’s presence with impurity resulted in immediate death.

They would enter the small windowless enclosure to burn incense and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat of the Ark.

“YOU ARE THE HOLY OF HOLIES”

The presence of God no longer dwells behind the curtain.

The presence of God dwells inside every person who places their faith and trust in Jesus

WHEN PARENTS LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC

Do you know the feeling when your parents started watching a movie or show you were watching - OR - they listened to the song you had playing. All of a sudden you are aware of every word - every theme.

You cringe at certain jokes. Foul words you didn’t even hear before now make you cringe.

One of my kids was recently watching a show on netflix and they began talking inappropriately - immediately they said - it’s not normally like this - it was just that scene...

We feel uncomfortable doing what we were doing, enjoying what we were enjoying in the presence of our parents or if your pastor was looking over your shoulder.

NOW - magnify that feeling by infinity

You have the holy presence of God dwelling inside you - at all times

When you are watching that movie or show

When you are looking at those webpages

When your listening to that music

When you’re with that other person

OUTCOME - CLOSENESS WITH GOD

TEACHING METHOD - Strong of Pearls ( catena)

Take a number of different OT passages and strong them together to make a powerful point

6:16 - “DWELLING AMONG THEM – WALK AMONG THEM”

Leviticus 26:11–12 ESV

I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Ezekiel 37:27 ESV

My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

FROM BEGINNING TO END OF SCRIPYURE

Garden of Eden - God walking with Adam and Eve

In heaven, as the city of God comes down and God is with his people

6:17-18

Ezekiel 20:41 ESV

As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest my holiness among you in the sight of the nations.

2 Samuel 7:14 ESV

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,

THIS MEANS

God will be in the midst of his people as we separate ourselves and are a distinct people in the world.

In our deepest heart relationships - we are assembled / partnered together with those who are following Jesus

Marriage - Yes

In the deepest commitments of our heart -

Entertainment

TV Shows, Netflix, Hulu

Community

Social Media Groups, Politics, Relationships, News Outlet

Who & what have you given your heart to?

Do you need to separate from them?

THIS DOESN’T MEAN

We don’t interact with the world or have relationships with unbelievers

Jesus has sent us into the world

As a unique people

Distinct from the world yet living in it.

DOES MEAN - JIM ELLIOT QUOTE

“I am dwelling in a generation to whom nothing is holy. Sacredness is an aspect people never assume toward anything. They reveal in bald frankness which enervates more consciousness.”

He wrote this back in the 1950’s - if this was a good description then I can’t imagine what he would say today.

NOW WHAT - FEAR GOD (PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURE)

George H. Guthrie (PhD NT Studies)

“We need to live out a winsome form of holiness that makes us distinct from the world as we are living for God according to the guidelines he gives us in Scripture, in community that reflects a wholeness of life that then impacts the world.”

PAST - “WE HAVE THESE PROMISES...”

Justification - God moves toward us in a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:21)

Removes the penalty of Sin

These promises are given to us, not earned, not deserved, not by our will or action.

We have these promises from God as a gift of God.

We SIT | REST | POSITION our lives on these promises.

This is my invitation to the one who who has never trusted in Jesus, to the one who knows the information of the gospel but has never entered into a personal walk with Jesus through faith

Repent and Believe

PRESENT - “LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES FROM EVERY DEFILEMENT...”

Sanctification - God empowers the believer to live in obedience to Jesus’ teaching

Free from the power of sin, but it is still present in our lives.

We wrestle and fight and run the challenging race of righteousness

God gives us his presence, his power,

We WALK, RUN, CRAWL as we seek to separate our lives from ungodliness and live in a manner worthy of our

This is my call, my challenge to those who have become complacent in the process/ journey of righteouss

Do not grow weary in the battle

Do not give in, Fight the good fight - run the race God has placed before you.

FUTURE - “BRINGING HOLINESS TO COMPLETION IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD”

Glorification - God cleanses the believer from all presence of sin

We are freed for the presence of sin

There is no more battle but peace, the race is finished and we receive our prize, The pilgrim is at rest in his eternal home.

Here we will STAND in the presence of God forevermore

IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD...

What is the Holy Spirit convicting you of this morning? From what do you need to separate ?

How will you fight for the affections of your heart?

Not through condemnation

May convictions lead you to repentance and faith.

CONCLUSION

I’ve asked Anthony to lead us in a new song that I believe beautifully reflects today’s message.

We see that our hope is in Christ alone

We see that our hope in Jesus is past, present, and future

YET NOT I, BUT THROUGH CHRIST IN ME ( BY CITYALIGHT)

PAST JUSTIFICATION

“What gift of grace is Jesus my Redeemer...”

“He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom.”

My hope is only Jesus”

“yet not I, but through Christ in me.”

PRESENT SANCTIFICATION

The night is darkness but I am not forsaken...”

“I labor on in weakness and rejoicing...”

“For in my need, his power is displayed.”

“To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me. Through the deepest valley he will lead.”

“Oh, the night has been won and I shall overcome.

Yet not I, but through Christ in me.”

FUTURE GLORIFICATION

No fate I dread, I know that I am forgiven

The future sure, the price it has been paid

For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon

And he was raised to overthrow the grave

To this I hold, my sin has been defeated

Jesus now and ever is my plea

Oh, the chains are released, i can sing, I am free

Yet not I, but through Christ in me.