Seeking a Fresh Encounter

A pattern that can instruct us & give us hope.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

A fresh encounter with God...

...Happens because of a Crisis

...Involves a Confrontation (confronting self & God in light of relationship)

...Yields a Course of action

Humble themselves (Isa 6)

Pray & Seek (Saul - Ac9; Hannah - 1Sa1

Turn from wickedness (Zaccheus)

Is6 - Awareness of Holiness leads to Humbling

The things God will use to get our attention to draw us into a fresh encounter (v1)

Notice that God WANTS to reveal Himself to us (vv6-8)

The main emphasis of this confrontational/crisis moment is the revealing (by God) of & awareness (by Isaiah) of God’s holiness

What is His holiness?

What effect does His holiness have on humans?

Why is this how He initiates a transformative encounter?

What results from encountering His holiness: humbling ourselves, recognition of our inability to measure up, godly sorrow (Is6:5; 2Co7:10) which leads to repentance

Awareness of God’s holiness (vv1-4)

Recognition of dryness / cycle of departure & return to the Lord (v5)

Repentance (v5)

Seeking to experience God in a new way (vv6-8)

Jo3

Isa55:6-7

Ez36

Shows us His holiness

Sprinkles us with clean water, cleanses us

Cleanses us from impurities & substitutes (idols)

Removes our stony hearts, gives us heart of flesh

Moves us to obey Him

He restores

He removes our disgrace

He resettles & rebuilds ruined places