True Intimacy

True Intimacy

Intro

The Call to Intimacy

Maybe I’m crazy to call people to an intimate relationship with Him…

All I ever see around me…even in churches is this call to live a nice moral life, get an education, be a good citizen, and oh by the way…believe in Jesus.

I want to KNOW Him I want to know Christ crucified.  I want to live all of my life UNTO Him, and I want to call every teen I can get ahold of to the same life of passion for Him and in Him.  Others call young people to a life of Christian entertainment with a dash of Bible study.  That’s fine…God hasn’t made me judge over other ministries or groups…but I can’t be satisfied with that.  I want to know the power of God…I want to see the power of God, I want to write Acts chapter 29.  And I know that all of that is found within an intimate knowledge and relationship with Christ.

The Sacrifice of Intimacy

Takes emotional energy

Takes time

Takes giving away of self

The Rewards of Intimacy

It is hard to live passionate all the time…it takes effort and maintenance.  My marriage is still passionate, we still have sparks after 8 years because I do the maintenance, I make the sacrifices of time and emotional energy necessary to be intimate friends with my wife.

Intimacy comes with the sharing of secret joys.

Intimacy can only happen when barriers are down and you are vulnerable.

John 15:13-15(MSG) "This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends…No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father."

Sin separates you from intimacy with God

Confession and repentance of sin is the way

The other night God felt distant, tried to pray, and then all my sin was gently brought to mind.  Though it was brought gently the effect is always rough.  So I spent an hour repenting for things that I had been doing.  A thought here, an action there, an attitude, etc.