Experiencing God

What are some of the best experiences you have ever had?

What are some of the worst experiences you have ever had?

Photos from family hike to Sleeping Beauty.

10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Quotes)

• Experience comes from what we have done. Wisdom comes from what we have done badly. Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School

• Experience is not what happens to you, it is what you do with what happens to you. - Aldous Huxley

Today's Best Illustrations, Volumes 1-4 (Experience the Best Teacher)

Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first, and the lesson afterward.

Have you fully experienced God in your Life?

Do you sense the presence of God on a daily basis?

Does God seem far away or near to you?

When was the last time you saw God do something incredible?

The Christian Can Experience God in Everyday Life.

Every day in every way, we can experience God!

Experience = practical contact with and observation of facts or events. (Websters)

We can experience God, have contact with Him in practical and every day ways.

Paul was telling the Christians living in the pagan, godless culture of Ephesus that they could have the assurance that God was in them and with them. The person of Jesus Christ is able to encourage and help every believer, everyday. PAUL PRAYS FOR THE CHRISTIANS TO EXPERIENCE GOD IN EVERYDAY LIFE... This passage is a prayer.

Verses 14-19 are one long English Sentence and is very beautiful, poetic, and praise worthy of God. It is informational and transformational.

Ephesians 3:13–21 (AV)

Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical Truths (Experience Is Founded on Truth)

Some people decry doctrine and say that experience is the thing. But there can be no valid experience that is not founded on truth, and truth is doctrine. If you are lost, and going in the wrong direction, calling South “North” will not bring you home. It is only the knowledge of the truth that will enable you to reach your destination (John 17:17)

Everyday in every way, we can experience God!

10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Experience)

A man, after 25 years with one company, was still doing the same old job and drawing the same salary. Finally he went to his boss and told him he felt he had been neglected. “After all,” he said, “I’ve had a quarter of a century of experience.”“My dear fellow,” sighed the boss, “you haven’t had a quarter of a century of experience, you’ve had one experience for a quarter of a century.”

Some of you have been saved for 20 years and not not know God any better than the day you believed! Some have been Christians 2 weeks and have been experiencing and knowing God in passionate ways.

Experience = practical contact with and observation of facts or events. (Websters)

PAUL PRAYS FOR THESE CHRISTIANS TO EXPERIENCE GOD IN 3 WAYS...

RESULTS OF EXPERIENCING GOD:

A Spiritual Strength. 16

MIGHT = δύναμις dunamis = (miraculous) power, might, strength:—ability.

Thomas, R. L. (1998). New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries : updated edition. Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc.

The Holy Bible: King James Version (Chapter 3:13)

“I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you...”

There will be Spiritual Battles every Christian will face.

We do not need to be afraid, we can have spiritual strength!

2 Timothy 1:7 AV

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries: Updated Edition (2901 κραταιόω (krataioō))

STRENGTHENED = κραταιόω krataioō; = to strengthen:—become strong(2), strengthened(1), strong(1). TO MAKE STRONGER.

God’s Spirit makes Your stronger when facing spiritual battles.

God’s Spirit makes you stronger when facing temptation.

Romans 7:19–25 (AV)

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

God’s Spirit Makes your inner man stronger!

Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations (Stale or Fresh?)

A story is told of an old man who had a wonderful experience twenty-five years ago, so wonderful that he wrote it all down and called it his “Blessed Experience,” and when people called on him he would often bring it out and read it through to them. One night, when a friend called in, he said to his wife, “My dear, just run upstairs and bring down my ‘Blessed Experience’ from the drawer in the bedroom.” She went upstairs to get it and on returning she said, “I am sorry, but the mice have been in the drawer, and have eaten up your ‘Blessed Experience’!” And a good thing too! If you had a blessing twenty-five years ago, and have not had one since, you had better forget it, and get an up-to-date experience.

A Spiritual Strength. 16

A Supernatural Love. 17-19

Today's Best Illustrations, Volumes 1-4 (Intelligence vs. Experience)

The error of youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience, while the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence.

Rooted in Love.

Grounded in Love.

The LOVE of God Reveals the FULLNESS OF GOD.

1 John 4:7–9 AV

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1 John 4:16 AV

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

“The while family of Christians in Heaven and earth are named after Jesus… “FAMILY:” We have a Christian family, supernatural family.

The more we are rooted and grounded in LOVE the better “Comprehension” we have of God.

The more we are rooted and grounded in LOVE the more we can “Know” the “love of Christ.” vs. 19.

The more we are rooted and grounded in LOVE the more we can Fully Experience God! “Filled with fullness.” We are truly experiencing God when we are “filled” or “controlled” by God.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 AV

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Constraineth = compels, controls.

10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Two kinds of Peace)

1. Experiential (Phil 4:7)—day by day experience of the believer, can be forfeited.

2. Judicial (Rom 5:1)—The war with God is over.

A person can experience 2) and not 1). Example of WWII Japanese who hid for years in jungles, long after peace was established between the warring nations.

Philippians 4:7 (AV)

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:1 (AV)

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

GOD LOVES YOU! Do you live that way? Does peace, joy, contentment and happiness flow through your life???

A Spiritual Strength. 16

A Supernatural Love. 17-19

A Steady Praise. 20-21

1000 Fresh Illustrations (Illustration 5 > Personal Worship)

People don’t want to experience church. They want to experience God’s presence.

The church is to praise God. We as individuals are the church; we are to praise God.

Give God the CREDIT! (Glory)

More than we can ask - He is able. 20

More than we can think - He is able. 20

Our Spiritual family is named after Him. 14-15

Heaven and earth are because of Him. 15

Acknowledge God everyday in every way. Confess your need for Him.

Ask God for Wisdom and Provision.

Adore God with love, devotion, and service.

Today's Best Illustrations, Volumes 1-4 (The Greatest Experience)

I have found that the most extravagant dreams of boyhood have not surpassed the great experience of being in the will of God, and I believe that nothing could be better.—Jim Elliot, Leadership, Vol. 8, no. 2.

Everyday in every way, we can experience God!

DL Moody Center 150 year old auditorium.

Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations (Unfruitful Mountaintop Experience)

Blunt common sense always characterized Mr. Moody. Once a man rose in one of his meetings to give his experience. “I have been for five years on the Mount of Transfiguration,” he said. Instantly Mr. Moody interrupted him by the sharp question, “How many souls did you lead to Christ last year?” “Well, I don’t know,” answered the surprised man. “Have you led any?” then came sternly from the preacher. “I—er don’t know that I have,” said the man. “Then,” snapped Mr. Moody, still more sternly, “we don’t want that kind of mountaintop experience. When a man gets so high that he can’t reach down and save poor sinners, there is something wrong.”

Experience = practical contact with and observation of facts or events. (Websters)

Experiencing God is more than a ONE TIME EVENT. We can experience God daily. Have practical contact with God daily! At salvation, we experience God, and every moment after.

Experience God at/with church gathered and with the church scattered...

When you read the Bible and pray.

When you drive your car or walk down the block.

When you have fun with your family.

Experience God at work.

Experience God at school.

In every area of Life- experience God.

RESPONSE:

Take time to pray for your self, your family, and your church that WE WOULD EXPERIENCE GOD, DAILY. Let’s have practical contact with God everyday.

Are you relying on God’s Strength?

Are you demonstrating Supernatural love?

Are you faithful to give God the credit, praising Him?

Perhaps God is not IN your life yet. Would you be saved from your sin today?