The Pursuit of God

INTRO:

This past month, we’ve focused on “Gather In.” My goal was simply to get you here. You and others - in God’s House. I loved seeing so many of you commit or recommit to that purpose. However, this all leads to a question - once I get you here, what I am supposed to do with you? In other words, what’s next?

We’ll be answering that question with this month’s theme “Get Ready.” All month long we’ll be focusing on getting ready for what God wants to do in our lives and in our church by committing to spiritual growth.

Intro sermon title, theme passage, and read Scripture

TRANS:

I stole the title of this morning’s message from a wonderful book called, “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer. Tozer was self-taught theologian, a fearless preacher, and a gifted writer. He was also a man wholly dedicated to pursuing God. Another way to say it was that he was always “getting ready” for where God was leading him. Tozer hated to see people waste opportunities to grow more in Christ, and he wrote about that tragedy is the book I mentioned. He wrote:

How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of ‘accepting’ Christ … and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him.

Towzer, A.W. “The Pursuit of God” Pg. 16

How right we was and is. The only way we are going to “get ready” for what God is doing, is if we commit to pursue Him passionately.

With that in mind, let’s answer 2 questions this morning. Why we should pursue God and How we can pursue God. We’ll find our answers by looking closely at our passage.

Why We Should Pursue God

So we can know Him

The passage began with the words from Paul, “I want to know Christ.” That’s a very powerful statement.

He’s not talking about just knowing more intellectually. He’s talking about knowing more experientially. Knowing the “resurrection power” of a new life, being able to handle sufferings with joy and faith, just like Jesus.

Because we have need of Him

Paul stresses the fact that he’s still not where we wants to be. He’s incomplete, and he recognizes his incompleteness. In other words, He has a need, and the only way to grow, is to know more of Christ.

Because He Has Made us His Own

Vs. 12 is SO awesome. The NIV says, “I want to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” That’s one of the most beautiful phrases in scripture. It’s saying that Christ saved my life for a reason. God has a plan and a purpose for me, and I should want to take hold of that plan. I should be continually seeking it and trying to live it out.

I also like how it’s phrased in a couple of other translations. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own (ESV)

Jesus has made me His own! Think about that. Sinners life you and me, and God still loved us! We should pursue God, because He first pursued us!!

How to Pursue God

Recognize there’s work to be done

You should live with a “holy dissatisfaction.” Not a negative self-view, but an honest evaluation of your spiritual life that says, “I’m not finished yet.”

Some commentators suggest that in this [passage] Paul addressed his opponents. They say that he consciously countered a perfectionistic group, sometimes called “divine men,” who claimed their own completeness.

Paul was probably one of most spiritually mature people alive, but he knew that he still wasn’t fully at his goal.

Forget what is in the past

I could spend all morning on this, but I wont. So many people get tripped up in their pursuit of God, because that can’t forget what they did yesterday.

Yesterday’s failure and mistakes are behind you. They don’t have to determine what happens today. Sometimes, people stop trying because they think “I’ve failed too many times.” Don’t fall into that trap

Go hard after God

Two important words in this passage

“strain toward” - ἐπεκτείνομαι (eh - peck - teen - o - may) - to stretch out, reach out to the uttermost

“press on” - διώκω (dee - oh - koh) - to move rapidly and divisively toward an objective - to pursue

Pursuing God, can’t be an afterthought. It must be done with purpose, with intention, and with passion.

INVITATION:

God’s got some great things in store for you - for us. You’ve gathered in. That’s the first step. Now are you willing to get ready for what He’s doing.

That journey begins with a simple commitment to pursue Him.

I’ll talk more this month about how you do this, and will encourage you on your journey, but you must decide for yourself if you truly want to know Christ and His power in your life.

It’s time to get ready.