0:00:00.490,0:00:03.240 Would you please open in God's Word 0:00:03.240,0:00:09.591 to 1 John 1:1. 0:00:09.595,0:00:12.124 1 John 1:1. 0:00:12.124,0:00:14.684 "That which was from the beginning, 0:00:14.684,0:00:16.132 which we have heard, 0:00:16.132,0:00:19.278 which we have seen with our eyes, 0:00:19.278,0:00:20.491 which we looked upon 0:00:20.491,0:00:22.503 and have touched with our hands, 0:00:22.503,0:00:26.134 concerning the word of life - 0:00:26.134,0:00:27.635 the life was made manifest, 0:00:27.635,0:00:28.614 and we have seen it, 0:00:28.614,0:00:29.924 and testify to it 0:00:29.924,0:00:31.641 and proclaimed to you 0:00:31.641,0:00:33.385 the eternal life, 0:00:33.385,0:00:34.701 which was with the Father 0:00:34.701,0:00:37.511 and was made manifest to us- 0:00:37.511,0:00:39.220 that which we have seen and heard 0:00:39.220,0:00:41.130 we proclaim also to you, 0:00:41.130,0:00:44.923 so that you too may [br]have fellowship with us; 0:00:44.923,0:00:47.033 and indeed our fellowship 0:00:47.033,0:00:51.728 is with the Father and with His Son, 0:00:51.728,0:00:53.579 Jesus Christ 0:00:53.579,0:00:55.758 We are writing these [br]things so that our joy 0:00:55.758,0:01:00.777 may be complete." 0:01:00.777,0:01:03.231 Brothers and sisters, 0:01:03.231,0:01:07.051 when we read John's Gospel - 0:01:07.051,0:01:11.935 not this first epistle, but his Gospel - 0:01:11.935,0:01:13.829 John is pretty plain to tell us 0:01:13.829,0:01:16.364 who he's addressing. 0:01:16.364,0:01:17.920 Let me just quote John. 0:01:17.920,0:01:18.899 John 20:30. 0:01:18.899,0:01:20.842 You don't need to [br]turn there but listen. 0:01:20.842,0:01:22.714 This comes from John's Gospel. 0:01:22.714,0:01:25.354 It gives us John's own reason 0:01:25.354,0:01:27.862 for writing the Gospel. 0:01:27.862,0:01:29.525 "Now Jesus," he says, 0:01:29.525,0:01:30.704 "did many other signs 0:01:30.704,0:01:32.662 in the presence of His disciples 0:01:32.662,0:01:36.954 which are not written in this book." 0:01:36.964,0:01:38.833 The book is the Gospel of John. 0:01:38.833,0:01:41.503 "But these are written," 0:01:41.503,0:01:43.678 here he is going to tell [br]us the reason why, 0:01:43.678,0:01:45.922 "so that you may believe 0:01:45.922,0:01:51.092 that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, 0:01:51.092,0:01:53.690 and that by believing you may have life 0:01:53.690,0:01:56.854 in His name." 0:01:56.854,0:02:02.253 John writes his Gospel to the lost, 0:02:02.253,0:02:05.324 so that they might believe. 0:02:05.324,0:02:08.749 But when we come to John's first epistle, 0:02:08.749,0:02:11.151 John is not seeking to convince the lost 0:02:11.151,0:02:13.415 in hopes that they will believe. 0:02:13.415,0:02:16.635 John distinctly writes this letter 0:02:16.635,0:02:18.471 to those who are already Christian 0:02:18.471,0:02:21.895 and I want to show you this. 0:02:21.895,0:02:27.421 Let your eyes go down to 1 John 2:1. 0:02:27.421,0:02:30.390 "My little children," 0:02:30.390,0:02:32.934 he's writing to Christians, 0:02:32.934,0:02:34.402 "I'm writing these things--" 0:02:34.402,0:02:35.828 what "these things"? 0:02:35.828,0:02:36.914 All of chapter one. 0:02:36.914,0:02:42.224 "To you so that," 0:02:42.224,0:02:45.832 well all of chapter one [br]and all of the epistle. 0:02:45.832,0:02:49.773 "But I'm writing these things to you..." 0:02:49.774,0:02:53.309 to who? To "little children." 0:02:53.309,0:02:55.023 1 John 2:7: 0:02:55.023,0:02:56.278 "Beloved." 0:02:56.278,0:03:02.030 You use beloved because [br]they're beloved of God. 0:03:02.030,0:03:05.066 "I'm writing you," 0:03:05.066,0:03:06.719 that's who he is writing too. 0:03:06.719,0:03:07.916 1 John 2:12: 0:03:07.916,0:03:10.606 "I'm writing to you little children..." 0:03:10.606,0:03:12.062 who are these little children? 0:03:12.062,0:03:14.852 Well, they're the ones [br]whose sins are forgiven 0:03:14.852,0:03:17.318 for His namesake. 0:03:17.318,0:03:18.538 He says in verse 13,[br] 0:03:18.538,0:03:21.016 "I'm writing to you fathers [br]because you know Him." 0:03:21.016,0:03:24.007 These are people that know God. 0:03:24.017,0:03:25.665 If you go to 1 John 2:18: 0:03:25.665,0:03:29.120 "Children." 0:03:29.120,0:03:30.382 1 John 2:21: 0:03:30.382,0:03:32.044 "I write to you," who? 0:03:32.044,0:03:35.266 "Not because you do not know the [br]truth but because you know it." 0:03:35.266,0:03:37.122 These are people that know the truth. 0:03:37.122,0:03:38.867 1 John 3:1: "See what kind of love 0:03:38.867,0:03:40.573 the Father has given to us." 0:03:40.573,0:03:43.875 John's including himself [br]with his audience. 0:03:43.875,0:03:44.753 That what? 0:03:44.753,0:03:47.111 "We should be called [br]the children of God." 0:03:47.111,0:03:48.559 That's who this is to and for. 0:03:48.559,0:03:51.057 And so we are. 0:03:51.057,0:03:53.190 We're the children of God. 0:03:53.190,0:03:55.019 If you go to 1 John 3:2, 0:03:55.019,0:03:57.459 "Beloved, we are God's children..." 0:03:57.459,0:03:59.547 That's who this is written to. 0:03:59.547,0:04:01.043 1 John 3:7, 0:04:01.043,0:04:02.544 "Little children;" 0:04:02.544,0:04:03.836 1 John 3:13, 0:04:03.836,0:04:07.623 "Do not be surprised, brothers..." 0:04:07.623,0:04:08.555 1 John 3:18, 0:04:08.555,0:04:10.932 "Little children." 0:04:10.932,0:04:11.956 1 John 3:21, 0:04:11.956,0:04:14.696 "Beloved;" 0:04:14.696,0:04:15.813 1 John 4:1, 0:04:15.813,0:04:16.791 "Beloved." 0:04:16.791,0:04:18.468 I mean what you see is: 0:04:18.468,0:04:19.468 "Little children," 0:04:19.468,0:04:21.761 "beloved," 0:04:21.761,0:04:23.331 "God's children." 0:04:23.331,0:04:25.025 You see this kind of terminology 0:04:25.025,0:04:29.138 literally every few verses. 0:04:29.138,0:04:30.592 1 John 4:11, 0:04:30.592,0:04:32.273 "Beloved." 0:04:32.273,0:04:33.205 1 John 5:13, 0:04:33.205,0:04:35.250 "I write these things to you who believe." 0:04:35.250,0:04:36.887 That's who he's writing to. 0:04:36.887,0:04:38.804 1 John 5:21, the book ends: 0:04:38.804,0:04:41.061 "Little children, keep [br]yourselves from idols." 0:04:41.061,0:04:42.297 I think you get the idea. 0:04:42.301,0:04:45.905 1 John is not written for [br]the same purpose 0:04:45.905,0:04:48.728 as John's Gospel. 0:04:48.728,0:04:50.277 It's not written to unbelievers 0:04:50.277,0:04:51.457 that they might believe. 0:04:51.457,0:04:55.422 This epistle is specifically targeting 0:04:55.422,0:04:58.262 God's children. 0:04:58.262,0:05:01.613 It's not like James 0:05:01.613,0:05:03.709 You remember when David [br]went through James? 0:05:03.709,0:05:06.051 I mean when I read James 0:05:06.051,0:05:07.071 I try to follow, 0:05:07.071,0:05:08.952 "Ok, is he talking to a believer here?" 0:05:08.952,0:05:10.586 "Is he talking to an unbeliever?" 0:05:10.586,0:05:12.163 When you were going [br]through it, I always thought, 0:05:12.163,0:05:13.886 "How's David going to handle this?" 0:05:13.886,0:05:14.816 Because with James, 0:05:14.816,0:05:17.011 you're just not certain [br]a lot of the times. 0:05:17.011,0:05:20.573 But there is no doubt [br]with John in this epistle 0:05:20.573,0:05:22.248 who he's writing to. 0:05:22.248,0:05:24.769 There's no doubt whatsoever. 0:05:24.769,0:05:26.875 Now that doesn't mean [br]the lost can't read it 0:05:26.875,0:05:29.525 and even, you know, perhaps get saved 0:05:29.525,0:05:31.078 through exposure to its truths. 0:05:31.078,0:05:32.406 But the principle audience 0:05:32.406,0:05:34.637 John has in mind are Christians. 0:05:34.637,0:05:38.884 Now there is a reason [br]I am emphasizing this. 0:05:38.884,0:05:40.354 I emphasize this 0:05:40.354,0:05:42.427 because it helps us recognize 0:05:42.427,0:05:46.690 what's going on back up in 1 John 1:3. 0:05:46.690,0:05:49.644 When you hear this, 0:05:49.644,0:05:50.826 "So that you too--" 0:05:50.826,0:05:53.996 he's saying we "proclaim this truth 0:05:53.996,0:05:56.310 about this Christ whom we felt, 0:05:56.310,0:05:58.052 and heard, and saw. 0:05:58.052,0:05:59.465 We proclaimed this to you 0:05:59.465,0:06:03.222 so that you too may [br]have fellowship with us 0:06:03.222,0:06:05.431 and indeed our fellowship [br]is with the Father 0:06:05.431,0:06:07.504 and with His Son Jesus Christ." 0:06:07.504,0:06:08.804 We don't want to imagine 0:06:08.804,0:06:11.727 that these words are aimed 0:06:11.727,0:06:15.180 primarily at unbelievers. 0:06:15.180,0:06:16.623 Listen. 0:06:16.623,0:06:18.252 1 John 2:13 0:06:18.252,0:06:22.722 "I am writing to you, fathers." Why? 0:06:22.726,0:06:24.065 "Because you know Him." 0:06:24.065,0:06:25.765 These are people that do know Him. 0:06:25.765,0:06:28.969 They do have some intimacy with Him. 0:06:28.969,0:06:30.642 Again in verse 13. 0:06:30.642,0:06:31.770 of chapter 2. 0:06:31.770,0:06:33.117 "I write to you children 0:06:33.117,0:06:35.685 because you know the Father." 0:06:35.685,0:06:37.557 There's some level of intimacy there. 0:06:37.557,0:06:38.469 Verse 14, 0:06:38.469,0:06:40.660 "I write to you fathers [br]because you know Him 0:06:40.660,0:06:42.667 who is from the beginning." 0:06:42.667,0:06:44.757 Look, John speaks about fellowship 0:06:44.757,0:06:47.693 to these people much the same way 0:06:47.693,0:06:49.593 and in much the same manner 0:06:49.593,0:06:53.050 as he speaks to them [br]about abiding in Christ. 0:06:53.050,0:06:55.620 You go to 1 John 2:28, 0:06:55.620,0:06:58.193 What does it say? 0:06:58.193,0:07:01.423 "Little children, abide in Him." 0:07:01.423,0:07:03.862 Now let's think about that truth, 0:07:03.862,0:07:06.757 "abiding in Christ". 0:07:06.757,0:07:09.690 Do you know that John tells us 0:07:09.690,0:07:11.694 in John 15 0:07:11.694,0:07:13.528 that if you don't abide in Christ 0:07:13.528,0:07:18.729 what happens to you? 0:07:18.729,0:07:20.541 "If anyone does not abide in Christ 0:07:20.541,0:07:22.654 he is thrown away like [br]a branch and withers, 0:07:22.660,0:07:26.238 and the branches are gathered,[br]thrown into the fire and burned." 0:07:26.238,0:07:28.013 Here's the truth: 0:07:28.013,0:07:34.496 does every Christian abide in Christ? 0:07:34.496,0:07:37.496 Yeah! 0:07:37.496,0:07:39.175 Well if they do, 0:07:39.175,0:07:42.983 I mean if that's part of the essence 0:07:42.983,0:07:44.641 of what it is to be a Christian, 0:07:44.641,0:07:46.551 why do you tell the little children 0:07:46.551,0:07:47.995 to abide in Him? 0:07:47.995,0:07:50.315 Brethren, that's just [br]consistent with the way 0:07:50.315,0:07:51.882 Scripture operates. 0:07:51.882,0:07:53.446 Scripture all over the place, 0:07:53.446,0:07:58.236 gives us these indicatives, these truths. 0:07:58.236,0:08:00.257 This is the way it is. 0:08:00.257,0:08:01.744 And then it comes right around 0:08:01.744,0:08:03.285 and gives us the imperatives. 0:08:03.285,0:08:05.695 And it commands us to do the very things 0:08:05.695,0:08:07.068 that over here it tells us 0:08:07.068,0:08:08.878 will always be true of the Christian. 0:08:08.878,0:08:10.805 Over here it tells us to do those things 0:08:10.805,0:08:12.654 that are always true of the Christian. 0:08:12.654,0:08:13.767 That's the way it is. 0:08:13.767,0:08:17.314 "Little children, abide in Him." 0:08:17.314,0:08:18.989 And it's the same with fellowship. 0:08:18.989,0:08:22.319 John presses us into the inner circle 0:08:22.319,0:08:25.047 of this fellowship with the [br]Father and with the Son. 0:08:25.047,0:08:26.052 Why? 0:08:26.052,0:08:28.103 Not because he thinks [br]we are on the outside 0:08:28.103,0:08:30.012 of those windows [br]out there looking in, 0:08:30.012,0:08:31.292 wishing, well, you know 0:08:31.292,0:08:33.444 we could have a part [br]with the people of God. 0:08:33.444,0:08:36.600 That's not it. But [br]because we, as Christians, 0:08:36.600,0:08:38.613 need to be pressed. 0:08:38.613,0:08:41.023 We need to be pressed to continue 0:08:41.023,0:08:43.528 more and more in this fellowship 0:08:43.528,0:08:46.390 and to dive further and further in! 0:08:46.390,0:08:47.810 In fact I want you to notice 0:08:47.810,0:08:50.556 what John says in 1 John 2:1. 0:08:50.556,0:08:51.802 Now we looked at it 0:08:51.802,0:08:54.544 but I want you to look at it more closely. 0:08:54.544,0:08:56.567 "My little children, 0:08:56.567,0:09:01.091 I'm writing these things to you 0:09:01.091,0:09:02.896 so that you may not sin." 0:09:02.896,0:09:05.326 Now notice three things about this verse. 0:09:05.326,0:09:12.095 First, again, who's John [br]specifically writing to? 0:09:12.095,0:09:13.133 Believers! 0:09:13.133,0:09:14.620 "My little children." 0:09:14.620,0:09:16.124 Second. 0:09:16.124,0:09:20.017 What's his purpose for writing to them? 0:09:20.017,0:09:22.522 That they may not sin. 0:09:22.522,0:09:25.077 But third, 0:09:25.077,0:09:28.652 what are "these things?" 0:09:28.652,0:09:31.619 that he writes to them [br]that they may not sin. 0:09:31.619,0:09:35.722 I mean if someone just got done writing 0:09:35.722,0:09:38.066 to you, and they just wrote 0:09:38.066,0:09:38.986 a couple paragraphs 0:09:38.986,0:09:40.890 and you're reading through the letter 0:09:40.890,0:09:41.727 from them to you 0:09:41.727,0:09:43.552 and you've read a couple paragraphs 0:09:43.552,0:09:45.852 and then you come to where it says, 0:09:45.852,0:09:48.992 "I'm writing these things [br]so that you may not sin;" 0:09:48.992,0:09:54.238 it's pretty normal and naturally intuitive 0:09:54.238,0:09:56.107 to think that "these things" 0:09:56.107,0:09:58.414 are the things he just [br]got done writing to you. 0:09:58.414,0:10:01.927 Now that doesn't mean that there's [br]not application to the whole letter. 0:10:01.927,0:10:05.829 But certainly he's [br]talking about chapter 1! 0:10:05.829,0:10:07.190 Chapter one is in view here. 0:10:07.190,0:10:09.302 And chapter one is about fellowship. 0:10:09.302,0:10:11.499 Listen, fellowship gets mentioned 0:10:11.499,0:10:13.799 four times in chapter one. 0:10:13.799,0:10:16.696 Fellowship with God is [br]certainly a major incentive 0:10:16.696,0:10:20.718 to not sin, is it not? 0:10:20.718,0:10:22.225 Isn't fellowship with God 0:10:22.225,0:10:26.336 an incentive not to sin? 0:10:26.346,0:10:28.726 Maybe you're not making the connection. 0:10:28.726,0:10:35.649 Why is fellowship with God [br]an incentive not to sin? 0:10:35.653,0:10:37.736 Well, obviously because sin is the major 0:10:37.736,0:10:39.907 disturber of fellowship with God. 0:10:39.907,0:10:42.624 But again, my point that I'm making to you 0:10:42.624,0:10:44.939 is that I want you to see that John 0:10:44.939,0:10:49.923 is addressing Christians in chapter 1. 0:10:49.925,0:10:51.651 He tells us that 0:10:51.651,0:10:58.211 by the very thing that [br]he says in 1 John 2:1. 0:10:58.211,0:10:59.626 You know what John's doing? 0:10:59.626,0:11:02.290 He's coming alongside us believers, 0:11:02.290,0:11:03.681 in 1 John 2:1, 0:11:03.681,0:11:06.361 and he's encouraging purity. 0:11:06.361,0:11:08.795 I mean he's saying, [br]"I'm writing these things..." 0:11:08.795,0:11:10.151 the encouragement to purity 0:11:10.151,0:11:12.717 is in the things that [br]he's writing. But he says, 0:11:12.717,0:11:15.332 "I write these things to you [br]that you might not sin." 0:11:15.332,0:11:17.342 Now yes, there may be failure, 0:11:17.354,0:11:18.816 and if so we have an advocate, 0:11:18.816,0:11:20.255 Jesus Christ the Righteous. 0:11:20.255,0:11:23.495 But we're to be pressing towards 0:11:23.495,0:11:25.075 more and more purity. 0:11:25.075,0:11:26.683 I'll tell you this, 0:11:26.683,0:11:27.876 fellowship with God 0:11:27.876,0:11:31.107 and purity go hand and in hand. 0:11:31.107,0:11:33.299 There's a real connection there. 0:11:33.299,0:11:38.539 Now, if we fail, there's blood. 0:11:38.539,0:11:42.106 If we fail, we can confess. 0:11:42.106,0:11:43.622 But they go hand in hand, 0:11:43.622,0:11:46.889 and he's encouraging purity and progress. 0:11:46.889,0:11:49.578 He's pressing us onward and inward 0:11:49.578,0:11:51.405 fighting to maintain fellowship, 0:11:51.405,0:11:53.425 striving to abide in Christ. 0:11:53.425,0:11:56.665 And so, I come to the [br]question of the hour. 0:11:56.665,0:12:02.797 How is your fellowship with God? 0:12:02.797,0:12:05.813 That's the question that [br]I want us to think about. 0:12:05.813,0:12:08.263 Every Christian ought to be able to say - 0:12:08.263,0:12:10.339 doesn't John say it so boldly? 0:12:10.339,0:12:14.526 He says, "Our fellowship [br]is with the Father 0:12:14.526,0:12:17.318 and with His Son Jesus Christ." 0:12:17.318,0:12:19.220 I mean are we all able to say that? 0:12:19.220,0:12:20.647 Can we say that boldly? 0:12:20.647,0:12:22.951 Can you come in here today and say that, 0:12:22.951,0:12:24.459 "Yes! I know it!" 0:12:24.459,0:12:27.254 "That is my life!" 0:12:27.254,0:12:29.824 "My life is one of fellowship 0:12:29.824,0:12:31.943 with the Father and with His Son. 0:12:31.943,0:12:32.780 I know it!" 0:12:32.780,0:12:35.883 "Since I've been saved, that is true!" 0:12:35.883,0:12:37.764 That is normative of my life. 0:12:37.764,0:12:39.836 That is descriptive of my life. 0:12:39.836,0:12:41.072 That is true! 0:12:41.072,0:12:41.933 I see it! 0:12:41.933,0:12:43.572 Oh it's not where I want it to be! 0:12:43.572,0:12:46.502 Some days, I can't find Him [br]the way that I want to find Him. 0:12:46.502,0:12:47.482 But as a rule, 0:12:47.482,0:12:48.847 I have walked with the Lord, 0:12:48.847,0:12:50.450 and I know what that is. 0:12:50.450,0:12:53.221 And it's heaven on earth. 0:12:53.221,0:12:54.944 It's as best as it gets here. 0:12:54.944,0:12:57.021 And the little bit that I've tasted 0:12:57.021,0:12:58.908 I would not turn back from the world." 0:12:58.908,0:12:59.881 Can you say that? 0:12:59.881,0:13:02.313 Can you say that dogmatically 0:13:02.313,0:13:04.954 like he says it? 0:13:04.954,0:13:07.668 Or are you seized by hesitation? 0:13:07.668,0:13:09.986 Does conscience hold back? 0:13:09.986,0:13:12.376 And look you know what [br]I'm talking about here. 0:13:12.376,0:13:13.247 John hit on it. 0:13:13.247,0:13:14.890 We're not talking doctrine here. 0:13:14.890,0:13:16.735 We're not talking just the knowledge, 0:13:16.735,0:13:17.547 a head knowledge. 0:13:17.547,0:13:20.630 I'm not talking about whether you [br]made it to church on Sunday. 0:13:20.630,0:13:23.067 I'm talking about this, can you say 0:13:23.067,0:13:25.550 "I walk with the Lord"? 0:13:25.550,0:13:26.859 Can you say that? 0:13:26.859,0:13:28.173 Are you walking with Him? 0:13:28.173,0:13:33.215 Jesus Christ died to purchase us 0:13:33.215,0:13:36.001 the privilege to walk with God. 0:13:36.001,0:13:37.492 That's what He died for. 0:13:37.492,0:13:38.997 That's what this is all about. 0:13:38.997,0:13:42.407 So let's think about this [br]relationship with God. 0:13:42.407,0:13:44.287 Let's put our minds there. 0:13:44.287,0:13:46.817 Let's think about how we nurture this. 0:13:46.824,0:13:49.244 And I want to give you [br]some thoughts this morning. 0:13:49.244,0:13:50.782 Maybe that's what we'll call it, 0:13:50.782,0:13:53.429 "Some Thoughts on Walking with God." 0:13:53.429,0:13:57.798 That's the title. 0:13:57.798,0:14:00.588 Here's the first point [br]that I want to make. 0:14:00.588,0:14:11.268 Fellowship with God takes effort. 0:14:11.268,0:14:13.621 Look if I were to ask you this, 0:14:13.621,0:14:15.768 "Does God want your love?" 0:14:15.768,0:14:19.012 I mean you can think about the [br]chiefest of all commandments. 0:14:19.012,0:14:20.760 Are we to love the Father? 0:14:20.760,0:14:25.771 Are we to love the Son? 0:14:25.771,0:14:32.461 Well, any of you that are married 0:14:32.461,0:14:33.930 for any amount of time, 0:14:33.930,0:14:36.749 you're past your honeymoon, 0:14:36.749,0:14:39.945 is love always easy? 0:14:39.945,0:14:43.014 I mean, fellowship with the Father 0:14:43.014,0:14:45.192 and with the Son is not automatic. 0:14:45.192,0:14:47.484 And it is not effortless. 0:14:47.484,0:14:50.349 Any relationship in this world 0:14:50.349,0:14:53.321 that has any sort of real depth or value 0:14:53.321,0:14:55.022 takes time. 0:14:55.022,0:14:57.162 And it takes effort. 0:14:57.163,0:14:59.373 I mean you answer this, 0:14:59.373,0:15:06.157 do good marriages happen spontaneously?[br] 0:15:06.157,0:15:07.662 I hear "no's." 0:15:07.662,0:15:09.535 I mean does anybody raise their hand 0:15:09.535,0:15:14.017 and says, "yes mine [br]happens spontaneously." 0:15:14.017,0:15:16.369 Della. 0:15:16.369,0:15:19.163 She's laughing, so I take that as a no. 0:15:19.163,0:15:23.695 There's effort there. Effort! 0:15:23.695,0:15:26.626 Look, you know what you know. 0:15:26.626,0:15:29.745 if you look over and you [br]see a good marriage - 0:15:29.745,0:15:31.273 I mean it's good. 0:15:31.273,0:15:35.543 You can see, they are happily married. 0:15:35.543,0:15:37.292 You can be certain about this. 0:15:37.292,0:15:40.129 You can be certain that somewhere 0:15:40.129,0:15:41.259 in that good marriage, 0:15:41.259,0:15:43.171 you're going to find somebody 0:15:43.171,0:15:45.861 who's doing something to keep 0:15:45.877,0:15:52.630 that marriage close, warm, healthy. 0:15:52.630,0:15:54.365 Are you not? 0:15:54.365,0:15:56.617 I mean somebody in there 0:15:56.617,0:15:59.871 is working to communicate. 0:15:59.874,0:16:02.136 Somebody is working to keep 0:16:02.136,0:16:06.269 the kind of words and actions that tend 0:16:06.269,0:16:07.897 to cause distance. 0:16:07.897,0:16:09.272 They're working at that. 0:16:09.272,0:16:11.760 They're working to keep [br]those things out of there. 0:16:11.760,0:16:13.121 They're going after them. 0:16:13.121,0:16:15.914 Somebody is committed to [br]battling through hard situations 0:16:15.914,0:16:17.959 and hurt feelings and suspicion 0:16:17.959,0:16:20.323 and anger that crops up 0:16:20.324,0:16:23.018 and distrust and hostility and grudges 0:16:23.018,0:16:24.467 and resentment and offenses. 0:16:24.467,0:16:27.167 I mean somebody there 0:16:27.167,0:16:28.812 is making an effort. 0:16:28.812,0:16:33.674 And look, the thing is God regards Himself 0:16:33.674,0:16:35.096 as our Husband. 0:16:35.096,0:16:37.616 This is a relationship that we're in. 0:16:37.629,0:16:39.071 The Lord is our Husband. 0:16:39.071,0:16:41.453 Is this any different? Yes. 0:16:41.453,0:16:43.498 In some ways it is different. 0:16:43.498,0:16:47.148 He is invisible to my naked eye. 0:16:47.148,0:16:50.247 He is high and He is holy. 0:16:50.247,0:16:52.051 And He is lifted up. 0:16:52.051,0:16:55.251 And that is true. 0:16:55.251,0:16:57.496 But you remember this, 0:16:57.496,0:17:04.364 we have a personal God. 0:17:04.364,0:17:08.133 Scripture tells us He feels. 0:17:08.133,0:17:14.180 Scripture tell us He is sensitive. 0:17:14.180,0:17:16.551 That's what it tells us. 0:17:16.551,0:17:21.294 And I recognize that this is different [br]about the relationship too, 0:17:21.294,0:17:23.519 one of us - 0:17:23.519,0:17:28.267 one of us is perfect. 0:17:28.267,0:17:32.105 And it's not me. 0:17:32.105,0:17:36.825 That's different. 0:17:36.825,0:17:39.530 And you know what that means. 0:17:39.530,0:17:41.959 It means that whenever [br]my relationship with Him 0:17:41.959,0:17:53.771 becomes strained or there's distance, 0:17:53.771,0:17:55.350 it's never His fault. 0:17:55.350,0:17:57.891 It's mine. 0:17:57.891,0:18:01.303 That I know. 0:18:01.313,0:18:03.771 It's always my fault. 0:18:03.771,0:18:05.237 But it is a relationship. 0:18:05.237,0:18:08.914 And it's one that we have to [br]work at and make time for. 0:18:08.914,0:18:14.769 Listen, any relationship in [br]your life that's healthy, 0:18:14.769,0:18:17.099 you need to work at it. 0:18:17.099,0:18:18.405 And we need to work. 0:18:18.405,0:18:22.003 There's priorities. 0:18:22.003,0:18:24.556 This walk with the Lord [br]needs to be a priority. 0:18:24.556,0:18:27.255 It needs to be something that [br]we are giving thought to, 0:18:27.255,0:18:29.363 that we are giving our mind, our heart to. 0:18:29.363,0:18:31.836 There has to be a prioritization. 0:18:31.836,0:18:34.546 We must make choices 0:18:34.546,0:18:37.056 that nurture this relationship. 0:18:37.056,0:18:39.606 We must turn away from the things 0:18:39.606,0:18:42.984 that create distance between us and God. 0:18:42.984,0:18:44.385 Priority! Priority! 0:18:44.385,0:18:45.901 This takes effort! 0:18:45.901,0:18:48.754 This takes time! 0:18:48.754,0:18:50.678 There's going to be an exertion. 0:18:50.678,0:18:53.708 It doesn't happen for free. 0:18:53.713,0:18:58.646 Oh yeah you get into it for free. 0:18:58.646,0:19:00.569 But there's effort. 0:19:00.569,0:19:02.530 That's the thing we need to recognize. 0:19:02.530,0:19:04.580 There is effort. 0:19:04.587,0:19:09.320 Did James not say, "draw near to God." 0:19:09.320,0:19:10.538 God says that to us, 0:19:10.538,0:19:11.945 "draw near to Me 0:19:11.945,0:19:13.397 and I will draw near to you." 0:19:13.397,0:19:16.228 When you think about fighting [br]the good fight of faith, 0:19:16.228,0:19:17.879 fighting the good fight of faith, 0:19:17.879,0:19:20.240 I mean one of the points of that fight 0:19:20.240,0:19:22.440 is just staying where we trust God. 0:19:22.440,0:19:24.014 That's what faith is all about. 0:19:24.014,0:19:25.576 We're fighting to trust Him. 0:19:25.576,0:19:27.884 We're fighting to keep our hope in Him. 0:19:27.884,0:19:29.293 We're fighting for that. 0:19:29.293,0:19:30.910 There's a battle in this. 0:19:30.910,0:19:33.197 You have all manner of enemies 0:19:33.197,0:19:35.540 that are moving at you 0:19:35.540,0:19:36.970 to distract you away. 0:19:36.970,0:19:38.563 And to take your time away. 0:19:38.563,0:19:41.118 And to take your eyes off. 0:19:41.118,0:19:43.154 To move you away from this relationship. 0:19:43.154,0:19:45.823 You've got to fight for this relationship. 0:19:45.823,0:19:48.643 A man will fight for his marriage. 0:19:48.643,0:19:49.986 We got to fight for this. 0:19:49.986,0:19:52.557 This is the chiefest of all relationships. 0:19:52.557,0:19:53.943 We've got to fight for it! 0:19:53.943,0:19:56.396 That means priorities in your life! 0:19:56.396,0:19:58.089 Is it a priority in your life? 0:19:58.089,0:20:00.189 You know, if you hesitated, 0:20:00.189,0:20:02.814 your conscience wouldn't let you say, 0:20:02.814,0:20:04.511 "Yes, I can boldly say 0:20:04.511,0:20:07.791 my fellowship is with the [br]Father and with His Son!" 0:20:07.791,0:20:09.852 One of the reasons you may have hesitated 0:20:09.852,0:20:12.268 is because you don't [br]have your priorities right. 0:20:12.268,0:20:14.090 And your conscience knows it. 0:20:14.090,0:20:16.362 Your walk with God is not [br]what it ought to be 0:20:16.362,0:20:19.374 because your priorities are [br]not what they ought to be. 0:20:19.374,0:20:20.437 Effort brethren! 0:20:20.437,0:20:23.007 Effort! 0:20:23.007,0:20:26.108 The second thing. 0:20:26.108,0:20:31.086 Worship and honor are essential 0:20:31.086,0:20:32.806 to this relationship. 0:20:32.806,0:20:35.736 Now John was telling us in [br]the Sunday school about missions. 0:20:35.736,0:20:38.464 And he's calling us, you [br]know, to give ourselves 0:20:38.464,0:20:40.177 to one another in love 0:20:40.177,0:20:41.771 and help encourage one another 0:20:41.771,0:20:43.580 so that we might see this church grow 0:20:43.580,0:20:45.659 and people being able [br]to be launched forth. 0:20:45.659,0:20:47.255 But you just remember this, 0:20:47.255,0:20:51.151 missions is never the end. 0:20:51.151,0:20:55.226 Missions is not the goal. 0:20:55.226,0:20:56.993 What does God want most? 0:20:56.993,0:20:58.034 He wants our heart. 0:20:58.034,0:20:59.066 He wants our love. 0:20:59.066,0:21:00.138 He wants our worship. 0:21:00.138,0:21:03.742 This thing is about worship, by and large. 0:21:03.742,0:21:06.622 That's the chief thing. 0:21:06.622,0:21:08.973 Piper said it in his book on missions. 0:21:08.973,0:21:10.604 You know the reason we launch 0:21:10.604,0:21:11.969 off to those foreign coasts 0:21:11.969,0:21:14.691 is because there isn't worship there. 0:21:14.691,0:21:15.929 That's what we're after. 0:21:15.929,0:21:17.585 That's what we're longing for. 0:21:17.585,0:21:23.204 Now look, I want you to [br]all turn to over to Malachi 1. 0:21:23.204,0:21:25.485 Some of you, you're familiar with this. 0:21:25.485,0:21:26.885 But I want you to see this, 0:21:26.885,0:21:31.508 I want you to feel this. 0:21:31.508,0:21:33.829 We're talking about 0:21:33.829,0:21:36.387 some thoughts on walking with God 0:21:36.387,0:21:38.713 and we're going to let the Lord Himself 0:21:38.713,0:21:42.767 speak to us about some things that, 0:21:42.767,0:21:45.412 to Him, are of chief importance 0:21:45.412,0:21:47.469 in this walk that we have with Him. 0:21:47.469,0:21:52.994 If you go to Malachi 1:6. 0:21:52.994,0:21:57.535 Watch this. Last book [br]in the Old Testament, 0:21:57.535,0:22:00.128 if you're looking for it. 0:22:00.128,0:22:04.049 Right before Matthew. 0:22:04.049,0:22:06.357 "A son honors his Father 0:22:06.357,0:22:10.834 and a servant his master. 0:22:10.834,0:22:13.434 If then, I am a Father, [br]where is My honor?" 0:22:13.434,0:22:14.981 God wants honor. 0:22:14.981,0:22:16.489 God deserves honor. 0:22:16.489,0:22:20.177 God is worthy of honor! 0:22:20.177,0:22:24.547 "If I am a master, where is my fear?" 0:22:24.547,0:22:28.972 Now you see, intimacy - yes. 0:22:28.977,0:22:32.402 But you need to remember this, 0:22:32.402,0:22:35.784 the one that we are [br]in relationship with here 0:22:35.784,0:22:37.985 is God Almighty. 0:22:37.985,0:22:40.192 And there needs to be a fear on our part 0:22:40.192,0:22:43.906 and there needs to be an honor. 0:22:43.906,0:22:49.661 We are not equals. 0:22:49.661,0:22:51.190 "'Where is My fear?' 0:22:51.190,0:22:52.943 says the Lord of Hosts, 0:22:52.943,0:22:55.240 'To you, O priests who despise My name.' 0:22:55.240,0:22:56.299 But you say, 0:22:56.299,0:22:57.981 'How have we despised your name?'" 0:22:57.981,0:23:00.267 And you know what that [br]happens to many of us. 0:23:00.267,0:23:02.636 If God could speak to you right now - 0:23:02.636,0:23:04.434 well, He can. 0:23:04.434,0:23:08.521 But if He did speak to you audibly 0:23:08.521,0:23:11.063 or in written word through a prophet 0:23:11.063,0:23:12.904 just like this, 0:23:12.904,0:23:14.879 He may say the same things about you. 0:23:14.879,0:23:16.455 "You despise Me." 0:23:16.455,0:23:19.371 And for many of you who do despise Him, 0:23:19.371,0:23:23.536 you would say, "Where do I despise Him?" 0:23:23.536,0:23:26.184 "Well, by offering polluted [br]food upon My altar." 0:23:26.184,0:23:29.911 Now look, we offer sacrifices 0:23:29.911,0:23:33.453 as New Testament believers. 0:23:33.453,0:23:35.539 Our sacrifices are good works. 0:23:35.539,0:23:38.563 Our sacrifices are sharing what we have. 0:23:38.563,0:23:41.360 Our sacrifices are the praise of our lips. 0:23:41.360,0:23:43.779 You get many texts in the New Testament 0:23:43.779,0:23:46.697 that talk about the [br]sacrifices that we offer. 0:23:46.697,0:23:47.900 But you say, 0:23:47.900,0:23:50.116 "How have we polluted you?" 0:23:50.116,0:23:52.919 "By saying that the Lord's [br]table may be despised." 0:23:52.919,0:23:53.964 Now watch this, 0:23:53.964,0:23:57.728 "When you offer blind animals in sacrfice 0:23:57.728,0:23:58.953 is that not evil?" 0:23:58.953,0:24:00.112 Now here's the thing. 0:24:00.112,0:24:02.060 Here's a thing that I want you to see. 0:24:02.060,0:24:07.153 These priests were making the offering. 0:24:07.153,0:24:09.855 You say, you know, I do this. 0:24:09.855,0:24:12.476 I do that. I'm at church! Right? 0:24:12.476,0:24:16.530 I mean I'm there. 0:24:16.530,0:24:17.858 God looks at the quality 0:24:17.858,0:24:20.037 because the quality has a lot to do with 0:24:20.037,0:24:24.072 where your heart is. 0:24:24.072,0:24:27.354 He says, when you're offering 0:24:27.357,0:24:32.617 substandard sacrifices 0:24:32.617,0:24:34.346 God says, "Is that not evil?" 0:24:34.346,0:24:36.173 And He's looking for 0:24:36.173,0:24:39.143 an answer that you all know. 0:24:39.143,0:24:42.043 Yes, it is evil when you offer 0:24:42.043,0:24:44.172 substandard sacrifices to God. 0:24:44.172,0:24:46.152 "When you offer those that are lame 0:24:46.152,0:24:48.390 or sick is that not evil?" 0:24:48.390,0:24:51.902 Present that to your governor. 0:24:51.902,0:24:56.281 You know when I think about worship, 0:24:56.281,0:25:05.117 I think, oh, I want to be in my seat 0:25:05.117,0:25:07.597 when God's word begins to be preached. 0:25:07.597,0:25:08.885 I want to be in my seat 0:25:08.885,0:25:11.056 when they begin to sing His-- 0:25:11.056,0:25:12.461 I want to hear from Him. 0:25:12.461,0:25:16.212 I want to be ready. 0:25:16.212,0:25:18.117 You know, 0:25:18.117,0:25:20.543 the problem with this whole setup here is 0:25:20.543,0:25:22.413 everybody that walks in late 0:25:22.413,0:25:23.920 you all see it. 0:25:23.920,0:25:26.649 And you know, the thing is 0:25:26.649,0:25:29.708 would you guys walk into work like that? 0:25:29.708,0:25:31.143 Offer it to your governor! 0:25:31.143,0:25:33.078 Offer it to your boss! 0:25:33.078,0:25:35.329 Will he accept it? 0:25:35.329,0:25:37.175 And I'm not saying 0:25:37.175,0:25:38.820 that whether you make it on time 0:25:38.820,0:25:40.215 is the pinnacle of all this. 0:25:40.215,0:25:41.428 But I can tell you this, 0:25:41.428,0:25:43.217 when somebody's [br]walking with the Lord 0:25:43.217,0:25:45.297 and their heart - their heart is hungry, 0:25:45.304,0:25:47.677 Oh, I want to be there when [br]the Word's opened up. 0:25:47.677,0:25:49.255 I don't want to miss any of it. 0:25:49.255,0:25:51.321 I want to be there when they sing.[br]I don't want to miss any of it. 0:25:51.321,0:25:52.625 Where are your priorities? 0:25:52.625,0:25:54.859 You see this has to do [br]with walking with God, 0:25:54.859,0:25:56.931 not just appeasing [br]those who are watching. 0:25:56.931,0:26:02.320 But as what are you offering to Him? 0:26:02.320,0:26:05.807 What are you offering? 0:26:05.807,0:26:08.986 Are you giving? 0:26:08.986,0:26:11.246 And I know some are. 0:26:11.246,0:26:12.967 There's sacrifice. 0:26:12.967,0:26:14.873 But when you walk with the Lord, 0:26:14.873,0:26:17.052 He watches to see the qualtity. 0:26:17.052,0:26:20.100 Why? Because the quality matters. 0:26:20.100,0:26:22.169 Men, you come to this woman 0:26:22.169,0:26:23.803 and you say, "will you marry me?" 0:26:23.803,0:26:27.384 And then she finds out you got [br]the ring from a pawn shop, 0:26:27.384,0:26:30.166 Is she going to be affected by that? 0:26:30.166,0:26:31.625 Well, some might not be. 0:26:31.625,0:26:33.533 But some might just be prudent, 0:26:33.533,0:26:34.917 "Well I'm glad he did that." 0:26:34.917,0:26:36.413 He saved a bunch of money, 0:26:36.413,0:26:41.419 now we can get into a house sooner. 0:26:41.419,0:26:45.246 Ask her first if that's ok. 0:26:45.246,0:26:48.366 But look, the reality is, 0:26:48.366,0:26:49.681 I mean he might as well say 0:26:49.681,0:26:50.883 not just your governor, 0:26:50.883,0:26:53.466 would your wife accept that? 0:26:53.466,0:26:55.193 I mean the truth is, 0:26:55.193,0:26:57.357 that we become negligent 0:26:57.357,0:27:00.281 with the way that we serve God. 0:27:00.281,0:27:03.931 We give Him the leftovers. 0:27:03.933,0:27:05.384 You wake up in the morning 0:27:05.384,0:27:08.187 and boy, the best part of your day, 0:27:08.187,0:27:09.942 and what do you do with it? 0:27:09.942,0:27:12.981 Well you wake up fifteen minutes [br]before you got to be at work, 0:27:12.981,0:27:14.577 and so the best part of your day, 0:27:14.577,0:27:15.845 those first hours 0:27:15.845,0:27:19.517 you give to your employer. 0:27:19.517,0:27:21.356 Or you hit the weights. 0:27:21.356,0:27:25.622 Or you turn on the news. 0:27:25.622,0:27:27.322 Not all of you do that. 0:27:27.322,0:27:30.866 But are you giving God the best? 0:27:30.866,0:27:32.419 I mean when you walk with Him, 0:27:32.419,0:27:33.451 He's mindful of that. 0:27:33.451,0:27:35.607 You can see it right [br]here in the Scriptures. 0:27:35.607,0:27:36.489 I mean He says, 0:27:36.489,0:27:38.019 "Present that to your governor, 0:27:38.019,0:27:39.972 will he accept you or show you favor?" 0:27:39.972,0:27:41.321 says the Lord of Hosts. 0:27:41.321,0:27:42.696 I mean, come on! 0:27:42.696,0:27:44.916 Don't give to God 0:27:44.916,0:27:47.256 what you wouldn't give to your parents! 0:27:47.256,0:27:51.156 Don't give to God what you [br]wouldn't give to your spouse. 0:27:51.156,0:27:55.755 Don't give to God what you [br]wouldn't give to your boss. 0:27:55.755,0:27:57.135 Or to your governor. 0:27:57.135,0:27:59.043 Don't do that! 0:27:59.043,0:28:03.514 God is worthy of your best. 0:28:03.524,0:28:05.209 Walk with Him this way. 0:28:05.209,0:28:06.115 He's says, 0:28:06.115,0:28:08.693 "For from the rising of [br]the sun to its setting 0:28:08.693,0:28:11.382 My name will be great among the nations." 0:28:11.382,0:28:13.662 Do you all remember when David - 0:28:13.662,0:28:15.429 remember David did a foolish thing, 0:28:15.429,0:28:17.312 and he went and he numbered the people. 0:28:17.312,0:28:19.801 And you remember the prophet[br]came to him and said, 0:28:19.801,0:28:21.402 "Well God sent me with a message. 0:28:21.402,0:28:26.369 David, you got to pick [br]one of three bad things. 0:28:26.369,0:28:28.066 I mean you're either going to get 0:28:28.066,0:28:31.088 three days, three months, or three years 0:28:31.088,0:28:33.378 of some really horrible stuff." 0:28:33.378,0:28:35.501 And David said, 0:28:35.501,0:28:38.291 "I don't want God to turn me [br]over into the hands of men; 0:28:38.291,0:28:39.319 let God do it." 0:28:39.319,0:28:43.668 And He brought three days of pestilence. 0:28:43.668,0:28:47.549 And you may remember what happened there. 0:28:47.549,0:28:49.910 In the end of that whole scenario, 0:28:49.910,0:28:54.100 he was to go to this man Araunah. 0:28:54.100,0:28:59.127 To his threshing floor. 0:28:59.127,0:29:01.497 Araunah saw him coming and said, 0:29:01.509,0:29:03.810 "I am coming and I have to build 0:29:03.810,0:29:06.051 an altar and make a sacrifice here." 0:29:06.051,0:29:08.987 And Araunah said, "David, it's all yours." 0:29:08.987,0:29:12.555 Do you remember what David said? 0:29:12.555,0:29:15.265 He said, "I will not give to the Lord 0:29:15.265,0:29:19.583 that which cost me nothing." 0:29:19.583,0:29:22.495 Are you giving to the Lord [br]that which costs you nothing. 0:29:22.495,0:29:24.294 The lame thing, 0:29:24.294,0:29:26.833 You see when they brought the blind thing, 0:29:26.833,0:29:27.893 what did that say? 0:29:27.893,0:29:31.827 Well, it was the lamb they didn't want! 0:29:31.827,0:29:33.934 Don't do that to God? [br]David wouldn't do it. 0:29:33.934,0:29:35.858 He was a man after God's own heart. 0:29:35.858,0:29:37.388 Imitate David in this. 0:29:37.388,0:29:40.568 You remember what was [br]said in the days of Eli? 0:29:40.568,0:29:45.115 That God honors those who honor Him. 0:29:45.115,0:29:46.525 Just that's the second thing. 0:29:46.525,0:29:49.812 Worship and honor are essential [br]to this relationship. 0:29:49.812,0:29:51.935 The third thing I would say. 0:29:51.935,0:29:54.705 Sin wrecks intimacy. 0:29:54.705,0:29:57.813 And here we might go back to 1 John 2:1 0:29:57.813,0:29:59.714 where it says, "My little children 0:29:59.714,0:30:01.380 I am writing these things to you 0:30:01.380,0:30:05.301 so that you may not sin." 0:30:05.311,0:30:07.586 Remember one of the things[br]he's written to them 0:30:07.586,0:30:08.923 or he's mentioned four times 0:30:08.923,0:30:10.096 in that first chapter 0:30:10.096,0:30:12.637 which is clearly an emphasis to him 0:30:12.637,0:30:14.254 is he's talking to Christians 0:30:14.254,0:30:15.919 about fellowship with God. 0:30:15.919,0:30:18.786 It's the perfect thing to [br]talk to God's children about, 0:30:18.786,0:30:20.705 who you want to encourage not to sin. 0:30:20.705,0:30:22.021 And why? 0:30:22.021,0:30:25.111 Is the danger that they're [br]going to go to hell? 0:30:25.111,0:30:26.348 Perish forever? 0:30:26.348,0:30:28.271 Well, not for God's true children 0:30:28.271,0:30:31.216 who are trusting in Christ alone. 0:30:31.216,0:30:33.373 Who are clinging to His cross work 0:30:33.373,0:30:35.415 as their only hope. 0:30:35.415,0:30:37.588 For the true Christian, 0:30:37.588,0:30:40.578 sin - there's no condemnation. 0:30:40.578,0:30:42.069 And we have an Advocate. 0:30:42.069,0:30:44.861 That's what he's assuring us of. 0:30:44.861,0:30:49.525 But it ruins close [br]fellowship and intimacy. 0:30:49.525,0:30:50.645 Brethren! 0:30:50.645,0:30:55.017 Throughout history, the men and the women 0:30:55.018,0:30:57.799 who have, among God's children, 0:30:57.799,0:31:01.391 who have had the privileges 0:31:01.391,0:31:03.144 to ascend that hill of the Lord 0:31:03.144,0:31:04.684 into the secret places 0:31:04.684,0:31:09.311 of God's most glorious manifest presence. 0:31:09.311,0:31:13.518 Brethren, throughout the age of man, 0:31:13.518,0:31:16.011 there have been those [br]that had been invited 0:31:16.011,0:31:22.185 most closely into manifestations of God. 0:31:22.185,0:31:25.387 And I'll guarantee you this, 0:31:25.387,0:31:26.896 you're hard pressed to find 0:31:26.896,0:31:33.368 that it's ever been [br]the spiritually sloppy. 0:31:33.368,0:31:35.468 We have too many professing Christians 0:31:35.468,0:31:38.408 who sin cheap! 0:31:38.408,0:31:41.006 You just sell it for a song! 0:31:41.006,0:31:43.058 Walking with Him. 0:31:43.058,0:31:46.078 Some of you need to stop and think 0:31:46.084,0:31:48.592 before you do and say [br]the things you do and say! 0:31:48.592,0:31:50.260 You need to count the cost 0:31:50.260,0:31:52.357 of the intimacy with God 0:31:52.357,0:31:53.558 that's going to be lost 0:31:53.558,0:31:55.072 for doing those very things 0:31:55.072,0:31:56.177 that some of you do 0:31:56.177,0:31:58.160 and some of you say. 0:31:58.160,0:32:00.025 Brethren, we have to walk 0:32:00.025,0:32:04.815 recognizing God is sensitive. 0:32:04.815,0:32:10.017 Our sin hurts closeness. 0:32:10.017,0:32:12.812 And I know, the Lord is gracious. 0:32:12.812,0:32:14.725 And I know that there are times 0:32:14.725,0:32:17.426 that when we do stupid and foolish things, 0:32:17.426,0:32:18.646 and we are expecting Him 0:32:18.646,0:32:20.247 to turn His back on us 0:32:20.247,0:32:22.611 or to take the rod to us, 0:32:22.611,0:32:24.952 and He just lavishes us [br]with hugs and kisses. 0:32:24.952,0:32:26.970 I know that, but listen, 0:32:26.970,0:32:32.047 the innermost regions [br]of fellowship with God 0:32:32.047,0:32:34.169 goes beyond anything in this world. 0:32:34.169,0:32:36.092 It's glorious without description. 0:32:36.092,0:32:37.460 Those that have tasted of it 0:32:37.460,0:32:39.445 can barely put words together 0:32:39.445,0:32:41.684 to describe to other people. 0:32:41.684,0:32:48.158 But it's a very sensitive place to walk. 0:32:48.158,0:32:49.219 Very delicate. 0:32:49.219,0:32:50.855 Martin Lloyd-Jones, 0:32:50.855,0:32:51.862 I came across this, 0:32:51.862,0:32:53.782 I don't even know where I got this from, 0:32:53.782,0:32:55.284 but he said, 0:32:55.284,0:32:58.154 "The air here in this region--" 0:32:58.154,0:32:59.847 these innermost regions, 0:32:59.847,0:33:03.122 he said, "it's very pure and very rarified 0:33:03.122,0:33:06.947 and slight changes are immediately felt." 0:33:06.947,0:33:10.855 You know we can grieve God. 0:33:10.855,0:33:14.381 Ephesians chapter four warns us 0:33:14.381,0:33:20.911 against grieving the Holy Spirit. 0:33:20.911,0:33:24.865 Brethren you think [br]about grieving the Spirit 0:33:24.865,0:33:26.615 We don't have a God who is 0:33:26.615,0:33:28.534 cold and indifferent 0:33:28.534,0:33:30.934 and distant and disinterested. 0:33:30.934,0:33:33.333 Brethren, grief. 0:33:33.333,0:33:36.461 You think about grief. 0:33:36.461,0:33:42.932 Who has the greatest [br]ability to cause you grief? 0:33:42.932,0:33:45.554 I mean, you think about it. 0:33:45.554,0:33:48.761 If John happens to be walking over 0:33:48.761,0:33:53.485 somewhere in Mozambique or in Nepal, 0:33:53.485,0:33:54.945 and somebody, you know, 0:33:54.945,0:33:56.449 somebody just said, 0:33:56.449,0:33:58.717 "I hate you Christians!" 0:33:58.717,0:34:00.927 Well, John just shakes that off. 0:34:00.927,0:34:03.297 If his wife said that to him... 0:34:03.297,0:34:07.754 Who has the greatest [br]ability to cause you grief? 0:34:07.754,0:34:09.306 And here we have God, 0:34:09.306,0:34:13.863 He's bidding us not to grieve Him. 0:34:13.863,0:34:15.656 The more one person loves another 0:34:15.656,0:34:18.352 the more the person doing [br]the loving is affected by 0:34:18.352,0:34:20.480 any coldness or any distance 0:34:20.480,0:34:21.699 or any failure 0:34:21.699,0:34:23.449 on the part of the one who they're 0:34:23.449,0:34:24.677 extending their love to. 0:34:24.677,0:34:26.966 Brother. Sister. 0:34:26.966,0:34:29.065 Would you suppose that your sins 0:34:29.065,0:34:30.925 don't grieve God? 0:34:30.925,0:34:32.543 I mean do read that text and say, 0:34:32.543,0:34:34.117 "Well, that's for somebody else 0:34:34.117,0:34:36.733 it's certainly not for me when I sin." 0:34:36.733,0:34:40.047 Brethren, that's given to common 0:34:40.047,0:34:42.402 brothers and sisters at Ephesus. 0:34:42.402,0:34:46.957 People just like you and just like me. 0:34:46.957,0:34:49.605 I mean did Jesus not say - 0:34:49.605,0:34:52.994 speaking of His manifest presence - 0:34:52.994,0:34:54.564 He said this, 0:34:54.564,0:34:57.695 "I will love him and [br]manifest Myself to him." 0:34:57.695,0:35:00.124 Who is that? 0:35:00.124,0:35:02.352 Well, "whoever has My commandments." 0:35:02.352,0:35:05.668 You see this is a person [br]that's walking in truth. 0:35:05.668,0:35:08.720 This a person walking in righteousness. 0:35:08.720,0:35:12.015 They are walking in obedience. 0:35:12.015,0:35:14.351 "Whoever has My commandments [br]and keeps them, 0:35:14.351,0:35:15.757 he it is who loves Me, 0:35:15.757,0:35:18.564 and he who loves Me [br]will be loved by My Father 0:35:18.564,0:35:21.336 and I will love him and [br]manifest Myself to him." 0:35:21.336,0:35:22.861 Look, are you going to forsake 0:35:22.861,0:35:24.802 a closer walk with Him 0:35:24.802,0:35:28.968 for some cheap sin? 0:35:28.968,0:35:30.301 Is Jesus not making it clear 0:35:30.301,0:35:34.173 that our fellowship with God 0:35:34.173,0:35:39.225 is clearly impacted by our obedience? 0:35:39.225,0:35:43.648 I mean look, the doctrine of justification 0:35:43.648,0:35:48.143 is a wonderful doctrine. 0:35:48.143,0:35:50.423 But the reason some of you walk around 0:35:50.423,0:35:53.970 with a cloud hanging over [br]your head all the time 0:35:53.970,0:35:58.626 is because you sin way too easily. 0:35:58.626,0:36:01.981 Yeah, the doctrine of [br]justification is wonderful, 0:36:01.987,0:36:04.433 but if you're living an impure life - 0:36:04.433,0:36:09.384 you're regularly giving God 0:36:09.396,0:36:12.211 the off-scouring, the leftovers; 0:36:12.217,0:36:14.894 if you're walking like that, 0:36:14.894,0:36:18.592 brethren, it's not surprising 0:36:18.592,0:36:21.006 that you're not enjoying 0:36:21.006,0:36:22.914 the manifestations of God 0:36:22.914,0:36:26.116 the way others are. 0:36:26.124,0:36:27.925 I mean the more we humbly obey Him, 0:36:27.925,0:36:31.213 empowered by His Spirit, 0:36:31.213,0:36:32.462 helped by His grace, 0:36:32.462,0:36:34.330 the more intimate is our fellowship 0:36:34.330,0:36:35.736 with the Father and the Son. 0:36:35.736,0:36:37.905 I mean ask yourself this, 0:36:37.905,0:36:40.585 (incomplete thought) 0:36:40.585,0:36:42.645 Choices. 0:36:42.645,0:36:43.734 Sin. 0:36:43.734,0:36:45.229 Intimacy. 0:36:45.229,0:36:49.094 Do I want this empty, fleeting pleasure 0:36:49.094,0:36:51.275 of this sin, or do I want 0:36:51.275,0:36:52.449 the unsearchable riches 0:36:52.449,0:36:54.739 of what this fellowship 0:36:54.739,0:36:56.358 with the Father and with His Son 0:36:56.358,0:36:57.669 is going to be. 0:36:57.669,0:36:59.682 John tells in chapter 1 0:36:59.682,0:37:01.787 how this deeper walk with God 0:37:01.787,0:37:02.934 can become a reality. 0:37:02.934,0:37:03.952 What did he say? 0:37:03.952,0:37:05.964 He said, "Walk in God's light." 0:37:05.964,0:37:07.290 Bring all your words, 0:37:07.290,0:37:09.721 bring all your actions into the light. 0:37:09.721,0:37:11.188 Bring your sin into the light. 0:37:11.188,0:37:12.467 Be honest about your sins. 0:37:12.467,0:37:15.235 Confess them to God for [br]forgiveness and cleansing. 0:37:15.235,0:37:16.496 But press on brethren. 0:37:16.496,0:37:17.972 Walking in the light. 0:37:17.972,0:37:20.054 Walk in the light. 0:37:20.054,0:37:22.804 That's where your fellowship with God is. 0:37:22.804,0:37:24.974 It's in the light. 0:37:24.974,0:37:29.752 And he says, "I write these [br]things to you that you sin not. 0:37:29.752,0:37:32.617 Well, that's the third thing. 0:37:32.617,0:37:33.819 Sin wrecks intimacy. 0:37:33.819,0:37:39.309 Let's move on even into the realm 0:37:39.309,0:37:41.949 where we're not talking [br]specifically about sin. 0:37:41.949,0:37:43.420 I would say fourthly, 0:37:43.420,0:37:48.476 beware of distractions. 0:37:48.476,0:37:50.936 Of course sin always hinders fellowship. 0:37:50.936,0:37:53.066 But so often our problem is not with sin. 0:37:53.066,0:37:55.093 It's with the things that are permissible. 0:37:55.093,0:37:58.158 And you remember how Paul said it. 0:37:58.158,0:38:01.441 He said, "All things [br]are lawful," but what? 0:38:01.441,0:38:04.752 He said it various ways. 0:38:04.752,0:38:11.771 But what? 0:38:11.771,0:38:13.241 Not all things are profitable. 0:38:13.241,0:38:14.448 Not all things edify. 0:38:14.448,0:38:18.775 Not all things build up. 0:38:18.775,0:38:20.211 Beware! 0:38:20.211,0:38:23.739 Beware of the things that pull you 0:38:23.739,0:38:25.282 away from the Lord! 0:38:25.282,0:38:27.095 I'll tell you this, the devil 0:38:27.095,0:38:30.815 will happily have you doing lawful things 0:38:30.815,0:38:33.045 if it keeps you away from 0:38:33.045,0:38:35.166 intimacy with God. 0:38:35.166,0:38:36.743 Be sure of it. 0:38:36.743,0:38:38.963 Be sure! 0:38:38.963,0:38:41.073 How many professing Christians 0:38:41.073,0:38:43.430 squander precious time? 0:38:43.430,0:38:44.467 O brethren! 0:38:44.467,0:38:47.247 If we could have all the time 0:38:47.247,0:38:50.245 from every one of you that has been 0:38:50.245,0:38:55.014 spent foolishly in social media! 0:38:55.014,0:38:56.576 And we can just put it together 0:38:56.576,0:38:58.859 that precious time like gold 0:38:58.859,0:39:01.324 and take it back from Facebook 0:39:01.324,0:39:03.774 and whatever other things [br]they got out there now. 0:39:03.774,0:39:07.012 They're just inviting new [br]ones one after another. 0:39:07.012,0:39:11.339 They're just time [br]absorbers for Christians. 0:39:11.339,0:39:13.677 How many professing Christians squander 0:39:13.677,0:39:16.927 that precious time spent with the Lord 0:39:16.932,0:39:18.514 not just on social media but 0:39:18.514,0:39:20.974 laying in bed! 0:39:20.974,0:39:22.254 Or, TV. 0:39:22.254,0:39:25.880 Or movies, music, and clothes, 0:39:25.880,0:39:28.731 and houses and gardens and yards, 0:39:28.731,0:39:30.106 and hobbies. 0:39:30.106,0:39:33.048 There's all this stuff that just chews up. 0:39:33.048,0:39:34.972 If you live a life 0:39:34.972,0:39:37.998 where you regularly make choices 0:39:37.998,0:39:39.806 allowing other things, 0:39:39.806,0:39:41.169 it just becomes a pattern. 0:39:41.169,0:39:43.061 You're making these choices. 0:39:43.061,0:39:46.691 Constantly making choices that crowd out 0:39:46.691,0:39:48.936 time spent with the living God 0:39:48.936,0:39:50.440 and in His Word, 0:39:50.440,0:39:51.622 and talking with Him, 0:39:51.622,0:39:53.364 and in meditation; 0:39:53.364,0:39:55.003 You're not going to grow closer. 0:39:55.003,0:39:56.957 You're not going to grow more intimate. 0:39:56.957,0:40:04.765 Brethren, the place where the glory comes; 0:40:04.765,0:40:08.435 the place of transformation, 0:40:08.435,0:40:12.062 Paul tells us is when [br]you behold His glory. 0:40:12.062,0:40:13.411 And that doesn't mean, 0:40:13.411,0:40:14.888 oh, you wake up in the morning 0:40:14.888,0:40:16.414 and five minutes you're there 0:40:16.414,0:40:17.736 and then you're out. 0:40:17.736,0:40:19.152 That's all you gave God. 0:40:19.152,0:40:21.750 The best of your time [br]you've given to the world. 0:40:21.750,0:40:24.591 You've given to other stuff. 0:40:24.591,0:40:28.709 You think that is just going to emblazon 0:40:28.709,0:40:30.678 the image of Christ on you? 0:40:30.678,0:40:32.203 No! 0:40:32.203,0:40:35.341 You do not have a quality walk with God, 0:40:35.341,0:40:38.735 any less then you can have [br]a quality walk with a wife 0:40:38.735,0:40:41.975 if it's just five minutes. 0:40:41.980,0:40:43.774 That doesn't work. 0:40:43.774,0:40:45.950 Beware of the distractions. 0:40:45.950,0:40:48.717 Beware! Beware! Beware! 0:40:48.717,0:40:53.041 Brethren, if you can [br]put on spiritual glasses 0:40:53.041,0:40:56.497 and but see and look with me 0:40:56.497,0:40:58.351 at the Song of Solomon. 0:40:58.351,0:40:59.547 Go back there. 0:40:59.547,0:41:02.570 Right after the Proverbs. 0:41:02.570,0:41:08.246 You have this Song of Solomon 0:41:08.246,0:41:09.757 after the Psalms 0:41:09.757,0:41:14.968 and after the Proverbs. 0:41:14.968,0:41:19.287 Like I say if you can put [br]the spiritual glasses on, 0:41:19.287,0:41:20.780 did Christ not tell us 0:41:20.780,0:41:22.518 that Scripture is all about Him 0:41:22.518,0:41:24.148 and I believe the Song of Solomon 0:41:24.148,0:41:26.115 is not just a story about Solomon 0:41:26.115,0:41:27.957 and one of his earthly wives. 0:41:27.957,0:41:29.920 I believe that this is a picture, 0:41:29.920,0:41:32.482 as many of the forefathers 0:41:32.482,0:41:33.914 have down through history 0:41:33.914,0:41:35.863 believed that this is a picture 0:41:35.863,0:41:37.285 of Christ and His Church. 0:41:37.285,0:41:45.614 And if you look at the Song of Solomon 5:2 0:41:45.614,0:41:47.495 the church is saying this, 0:41:47.495,0:41:51.206 "I slept, but my heart was awake." 0:41:51.206,0:41:53.766 I mean this is a person [br]who's thinking on Christ. 0:41:53.766,0:41:54.750 "...the sound; 0:41:54.750,0:41:56.099 my Beloved is knocking." 0:41:56.099,0:41:58.221 Christ has come knocking. 0:41:58.221,0:42:00.836 "Open to Me, My sister." 0:42:00.836,0:42:04.034 This is Christ calling out to the church. 0:42:04.034,0:42:06.289 My sister open. 0:42:06.289,0:42:12.446 I want even a greater closeness. 0:42:12.456,0:42:15.094 "My love, My dove, My perfect one, 0:42:15.094,0:42:16.549 for My head is wet with dew, 0:42:16.549,0:42:19.666 My locks with the drops of the night." 0:42:19.666,0:42:22.068 How the church responded, 0:42:22.068,0:42:23.926 with an excuse. 0:42:23.926,0:42:25.809 That's all this is. 0:42:25.809,0:42:29.762 "Well, I've put off my garment, 0:42:29.762,0:42:32.079 how can I put it on again?" 0:42:32.079,0:42:33.226 I've bathed my feet; 0:42:33.226,0:42:35.620 I'm going to get them [br]dirty if I go on the floor. 0:42:35.620,0:42:37.693 And do you known what this moment 0:42:37.693,0:42:43.405 of hesitation cost her? 0:42:43.405,0:42:45.358 My Beloved put His hand to the latch 0:42:45.358,0:42:47.267 and my heart was thrilled within me. 0:42:47.267,0:42:48.868 I arose to open to my Beloved, 0:42:48.868,0:42:50.863 and my hands dripped with myrrh, 0:42:50.863,0:42:52.254 my fingers with liquid myrrh, 0:42:52.254,0:42:54.399 on the handles of the bolt. 0:42:54.399,0:42:56.094 I opened to my Beloved, 0:42:56.094,0:43:04.626 but my Beloved had turned and gone. 0:43:04.626,0:43:06.619 Brethren, there are times when the Lord 0:43:06.619,0:43:07.780 is bidding us to come. 0:43:07.780,0:43:09.412 You feel prompted to pray. 0:43:09.412,0:43:12.714 You feel prompted to get alone. 0:43:12.714,0:43:14.403 And you don't do it. 0:43:14.403,0:43:15.997 You know what? 0:43:15.997,0:43:18.844 It's not even that she didn't do it. 0:43:18.844,0:43:21.441 She did it. 0:43:21.441,0:43:24.252 She just took too much time 0:43:24.252,0:43:26.862 thinking about it. 0:43:26.862,0:43:29.214 Give yourself freely to Christ. 0:43:29.214,0:43:31.710 Oh, be ready when He prompts, to go. 0:43:31.713,0:43:32.918 To you who are young, 0:43:32.918,0:43:35.091 you're full of health and strength. 0:43:35.091,0:43:39.082 We need to stop and think. 0:43:39.082,0:43:41.243 What are all those [br]things that you're trading 0:43:41.243,0:43:42.363 for time with Christ? 0:43:42.363,0:43:44.435 What are they? You tell me! 0:43:44.435,0:43:46.896 What real rest have they [br]brought to your soul? 0:43:46.896,0:43:49.594 What real joy have they brought to you? 0:43:49.594,0:43:54.475 What quietness in your spirit? 0:43:54.484,0:43:56.653 What true satisfaction? 0:43:56.653,0:43:58.802 You know it. You know it as well as I do. 0:43:58.802,0:44:00.977 Their pleasures are fleeting 0:44:00.977,0:44:03.352 and they're quickly hollow. 0:44:03.352,0:44:05.181 But Christ is never that way. 0:44:05.181,0:44:09.893 He's truly satisfying. 0:44:09.893,0:44:14.241 Do those things that you trade, 0:44:14.241,0:44:15.848 I mean are they really fit 0:44:15.848,0:44:17.820 objects for your highest love? 0:44:17.820,0:44:20.039 Think about what you're [br]giving your life to? 0:44:20.039,0:44:21.452 You're walking with God. 0:44:21.452,0:44:24.484 Christ bought us the privilege! 0:44:24.484,0:44:27.221 Don't squander this in idleness 0:44:27.221,0:44:28.583 and foolishness, 0:44:28.583,0:44:33.998 wasting your precious time! 0:44:33.998,0:44:35.194 I can remember reading - 0:44:35.194,0:44:36.884 I think Spurgeon tells this story 0:44:36.884,0:44:40.496 about a man who was in his eighties, 0:44:40.496,0:44:42.189 and he got converted. 0:44:42.189,0:44:44.281 Yeah, I think he got [br]converted in a meeting, 0:44:44.281,0:44:46.104 and in the very same meeting 0:44:46.104,0:44:47.727 he just wailed. 0:44:47.727,0:44:49.797 Seeking to console him, 0:44:49.808,0:44:51.737 "You've been saved." 0:44:51.737,0:44:53.590 He just wailed because 0:44:53.590,0:44:56.470 he had wasted his life. 0:44:56.470,0:44:59.373 It was gone. 0:44:59.373,0:45:00.484 I mean Isaiah says it, 0:45:00.484,0:45:02.169 "Why spend your money for that 0:45:02.169,0:45:05.129 which is not bread?" 0:45:05.129,0:45:06.849 And I would say fifthly this, 0:45:06.849,0:45:08.994 prayer is vital to this fellowship. 0:45:08.994,0:45:09.758 Prayer. 0:45:09.758,0:45:11.685 Listen to this again in Song of Solomon. 0:45:11.685,0:45:14.740 If you're still there look at 2:14. 0:45:14.740,0:45:17.805 Song of Solomon 2:14. 0:45:17.805,0:45:21.125 This is Christ speaking [br]to His church again, 0:45:21.137,0:45:25.632 "O My dove, in the clefts of the rock, 0:45:25.632,0:45:27.220 in the crannies of the cliff, 0:45:27.220,0:45:30.048 let Me see your face, 0:45:30.048,0:45:34.379 let Me hear your voice, 0:45:34.379,0:45:35.925 for your voice is sweet, 0:45:35.925,0:45:37.303 and your face is lovely." 0:45:37.303,0:45:39.994 It's like Christ is saying to His people, 0:45:39.994,0:45:42.261 "Don't go hide 0:45:42.261,0:45:44.191 in the cracks and crevices. 0:45:44.191,0:45:46.384 Come out and speak to Me. 0:45:46.384,0:45:50.518 I want to hear your voice." 0:45:50.518,0:45:51.911 I mean sometimes we feel like 0:45:51.911,0:45:53.330 oh, we can hardly pray. 0:45:53.330,0:45:55.955 All it is groans and sighs. 0:45:55.955,0:45:57.325 But Jesus is saying, 0:45:57.325,0:46:01.129 "Your voice to Me is sweet. 0:46:01.129,0:46:04.504 Come out to Me in all your weakness." 0:46:04.504,0:46:06.354 I mean, it's like a parent whose child 0:46:06.354,0:46:08.703 struggles to get these words out. 0:46:08.703,0:46:12.374 The child is not despised by his parents. 0:46:12.374,0:46:14.038 Christ is saying, 0:46:14.038,0:46:16.785 "Your sighing and groaning is sweet to Me. 0:46:16.785,0:46:18.154 [br]I'm not going to mock at it. 0:46:18.154,0:46:21.485 I'm not going to mock at your weakness." 0:46:21.485,0:46:23.292 Look, you won't enjoy 0:46:23.292,0:46:25.187 the deepest of fellowship with God 0:46:25.187,0:46:27.875 unless you learn to speak 0:46:27.875,0:46:32.251 with your Beloved in prayer and praise. 0:46:32.251,0:46:34.625 I mean, brethren, we need 0:46:34.625,0:46:36.137 seasons of prayer. 0:46:36.137,0:46:39.680 We need seasons where we talk. 0:46:39.683,0:46:41.225 I would say sixthly, 0:46:41.225,0:46:43.079 God's Word is vital to this fellowship. 0:46:43.079,0:46:44.580 I mean you know this text well, 0:46:44.580,0:46:47.371 most of you, Isaiah 66:2. 0:46:47.371,0:46:49.310 Don't turn there. But God says, 0:46:49.310,0:46:51.272 "This is the one to whom I will look..." 0:46:51.272,0:46:54.569 who does God look to? 0:46:54.569,0:46:57.480 He looks to those who are 0:46:57.480,0:46:59.098 humble and contrite in spirit 0:46:59.098,0:47:00.503 and tremble at His Word. 0:47:00.503,0:47:01.597 Coming to His Word. 0:47:01.597,0:47:02.887 Trembling at His Word. 0:47:02.887,0:47:04.339 "To them I'll look." 0:47:04.339,0:47:05.274 That look of God. 0:47:05.274,0:47:08.825 That means He'll look on them with favor. 0:47:08.825,0:47:15.356 It means, it's a look [br]that is very desirable. 0:47:15.356,0:47:18.888 It's not only that God needs [br]to be hearing our voice, 0:47:18.888,0:47:21.823 we must hear the voice [br]of God in our souls. 0:47:21.823,0:47:24.476 You're never going to enjoy [br]fellowship with Him 0:47:24.476,0:47:27.826 unless your ear is [br]trained to hear His voice. 0:47:27.826,0:47:30.766 It's in the Word, yes. 0:47:30.766,0:47:34.673 It comes from pulpits, yes. 0:47:34.673,0:47:37.683 We see that the Psalmist says, 0:47:37.683,0:47:39.653 "The heavens declare it." 0:47:39.653,0:47:41.370 It's in the creation. 0:47:41.370,0:47:43.770 God speaks to us by His Providence. 0:47:43.770,0:47:46.324 He speaks to us in creation. 0:47:46.324,0:47:48.716 He speaks to us through His preachers. 0:47:48.716,0:47:53.338 He speaks to us in His book. 0:47:53.338,0:47:57.594 He speaks to us in [br]promptings of the Holy Spirit. 0:47:57.594,0:48:00.983 He speaks to us in conscience. 0:48:00.983,0:48:03.130 He's given Himself a voice 0:48:03.130,0:48:04.310 through many means. 0:48:04.310,0:48:06.049 We need ears, 0:48:06.049,0:48:08.051 not just that are trained to hear, 0:48:08.051,0:48:10.347 but take time to hear. 0:48:10.347,0:48:12.410 O, when you got all the noise coming! 0:48:12.410,0:48:13.914 That's one of the things 0:48:13.914,0:48:16.184 about all the technology today 0:48:16.184,0:48:20.428 it just bombs us with noise! 0:48:20.428,0:48:25.600 I would say seventhly, meditation. 0:48:25.600,0:48:27.671 Close, sweet communion with God 0:48:27.671,0:48:29.553 is kept up by meditation. 0:48:29.553,0:48:31.455 You remember there in Genesis 24. 0:48:31.455,0:48:33.649 Remember what Isaac was doing? 0:48:33.649,0:48:36.599 Here comes his bride-to-be. 0:48:36.599,0:48:38.839 And what was he doing? 0:48:38.839,0:48:41.176 He was walking in the fields. 0:48:41.176,0:48:43.371 Oh, if there is a time [br]to walk in the fields - 0:48:43.371,0:48:44.706 sunrise and sunset. 0:48:44.706,0:48:46.825 Especially here in hot Texas. 0:48:46.825,0:48:48.323 But there's a time to get out. 0:48:48.323,0:48:50.635 I don't know, maybe not [br]all of you need to walk. 0:48:50.635,0:48:53.392 But oh, walking outside is the place 0:48:53.392,0:48:55.742 for me to meditate. 0:48:55.742,0:48:57.510 I know 0:48:57.510,0:48:59.651 you know Charles and [br]John Wesley's mother, 0:48:59.651,0:49:01.101 hers was under an apron. 0:49:01.101,0:49:03.214 The place isn't what's most important. 0:49:03.214,0:49:06.497 But Isaac was out there meditating. 0:49:06.497,0:49:11.362 Meditation is giving real time 0:49:11.362,0:49:13.915 to think and chew, 0:49:13.915,0:49:17.102 to contemplate God's works, 0:49:17.102,0:49:19.146 and His wonders, and His glory, 0:49:19.146,0:49:21.107 and His beauty, and what He says 0:49:21.117,0:49:22.232 in His word. 0:49:22.232,0:49:24.413 And what our needs are, our wants, 0:49:24.413,0:49:25.702 it's how He's working. 0:49:25.702,0:49:28.652 Meditation just rivets the mind 0:49:28.652,0:49:30.932 to biblical truths, and it brings 0:49:30.932,0:49:33.030 God and the soul close together. 0:49:33.030,0:49:35.377 Those of you that know [br]something about meditation, 0:49:35.377,0:49:37.137 you know that's true. 0:49:37.137,0:49:39.856 Meditation tends to open our eyes 0:49:39.856,0:49:42.086 to the invisible glory of God. 0:49:42.094,0:49:44.473 Brethren, I'll tell you, [br]there have been times - 0:49:44.473,0:49:45.656 Yes, you go in the Word. 0:49:45.656,0:49:47.446 Yes, you have some time in prayer. 0:49:47.446,0:49:49.567 But you walk and you walk, 0:49:49.567,0:49:52.056 and you linger in prayer, 0:49:52.056,0:49:53.682 and just communing with God 0:49:53.682,0:49:54.620 and meditating. 0:49:54.620,0:49:55.919 And you get into that 0:49:55.919,0:49:58.002 maybe a half hour, an hour, 0:49:58.002,0:49:59.399 an hour and a half 0:49:59.399,0:50:01.446 and suddenly God comes! 0:50:01.446,0:50:03.178 If you only did that for ten minutes 0:50:03.178,0:50:04.930 it wouldn't have happened. 0:50:04.930,0:50:07.348 Meditation, brethren. 0:50:07.348,0:50:10.168 Oh, Psalm 63:6, we read there today. 0:50:10.168,0:50:12.634 "I remember You upon my bed 0:50:12.638,0:50:15.537 and meditate on You in [br]the watches of the night." 0:50:15.537,0:50:18.637 And I would end with this last point. 0:50:18.637,0:50:20.049 Number 8. 0:50:20.049,0:50:22.012 Christian, 0:50:22.012,0:50:26.133 Scripture says that you are God's garden. 0:50:26.133,0:50:29.440 That is a such a picture for fellowship. 0:50:29.440,0:50:31.772 If you're still there in Song of Solomon 0:50:31.772,0:50:34.462 I want you to turn to chapter 4. 0:50:34.462,0:50:39.780 Scripture describes you as God's garden, 0:50:39.780,0:50:42.506 which means it's a place He wants to come 0:50:42.506,0:50:46.280 and delight Himself in the beauty. 0:50:46.280,0:50:51.919 It's a place God delights to walk. 0:50:51.919,0:50:54.921 I mean, what this is 0:50:54.921,0:50:56.882 is it's God telling His people, 0:50:56.882,0:50:58.619 "I want fellowship with you. 0:50:58.619,0:51:00.604 I want to find the sweetness there. 0:51:00.604,0:51:02.604 I want to enjoy it. 0:51:02.604,0:51:04.072 I want to delight in it." 0:51:04.072,0:51:08.649 If you look at the Song of Solomon 4:10. 0:51:08.649,0:51:11.166 Look what Christ says. 0:51:11.166,0:51:12.647 Christ says this to His church, 0:51:12.647,0:51:14.074 "How beautiful is your love 0:51:14.074,0:51:15.783 My sister, My bride! 0:51:15.783,0:51:17.894 How much better is your love than wine 0:51:17.894,0:51:19.405 and the fragrance of your oils 0:51:19.405,0:51:21.138 than any spice! 0:51:21.138,0:51:23.554 Your lips drip nectar, My bride; 0:51:23.554,0:51:25.495 honey and milk are under your tongue; 0:51:25.495,0:51:26.934 the fragrance of your garments 0:51:26.934,0:51:30.382 is like the fragrance of Lebanon." 0:51:30.392,0:51:32.702 He says this in verse 12. 0:51:32.702,0:51:39.375 "A garden locked is My sister, My bride." 0:51:39.375,0:51:42.025 And then you go to verse 16. 0:51:42.025,0:51:44.392 And the church says, 0:51:44.392,0:51:46.871 "Awake, O north wind, [br]and come O south wind! 0:51:46.871,0:51:48.685 Blow upon my garden, 0:51:48.685,0:51:50.622 let its spices flow. 0:51:50.622,0:51:53.156 Let my Beloved come to His garden 0:51:53.156,0:51:55.786 and eat its choicest fruits." 0:51:55.786,0:51:57.193 And then you go to 5:1 0:51:57.193,0:52:00.118 and Christ responds, 0:52:00.118,0:52:03.960 "I came to My garden, My sister, My bride 0:52:03.960,0:52:06.876 I gathered My myrrh with My spice. 0:52:06.876,0:52:09.152 I ate My honeycomb with My honey, 0:52:09.152,0:52:10.862 I drank My wine with My milk. 0:52:10.862,0:52:16.704 Eat, friends, drink, [br]and be drunk with love!" 0:52:16.704,0:52:17.993 I just ask you this, 0:52:17.993,0:52:20.283 I mean this is a picture of Christ 0:52:20.283,0:52:24.030 wanting to come and enjoy 0:52:24.030,0:52:28.705 the delights of His garden. 0:52:28.705,0:52:32.196 We really need to see [br]the Lord desiring that. 0:52:32.196,0:52:34.244 I think sometimes we have this distant, 0:52:34.244,0:52:37.803 austere idea. 0:52:37.803,0:52:41.273 We don't see God really wanting 0:52:41.282,0:52:44.823 this fellowship. 0:52:44.823,0:52:46.754 Desiring it. 0:52:46.754,0:52:48.525 So I ask you this, how you would you 0:52:48.525,0:52:50.764 rate your fellowship with God? 0:52:50.764,0:52:53.104 We're going to move [br]on in 1 John after this. 0:52:53.104,0:52:55.294 But as we leave this topic, 0:52:55.294,0:52:59.534 at least for now, 0:52:59.534,0:53:03.626 how would you rate [br]your fellowship with God? 0:53:03.626,0:53:07.408 Is it distant? 0:53:07.408,0:53:10.185 Is it sloppy? 0:53:10.185,0:53:11.241 Disrespectful? 0:53:11.241,0:53:13.606 Casual? 0:53:13.616,0:53:15.766 Is it close? 0:53:15.766,0:53:18.653 Is it precious to you? 0:53:18.653,0:53:20.398 I mean, can you really say that? 0:53:20.398,0:53:24.758 Walking with the Lord is precious. 0:53:24.768,0:53:26.490 How would you rate it? 0:53:26.490,0:53:28.093 Is it intimate? 0:53:28.093,0:53:30.130 Are you the sort of garden 0:53:30.130,0:53:32.718 where God comes looking for fruit 0:53:32.718,0:53:35.926 and He finds it? 0:53:35.926,0:53:38.584 Delights in it? 0:53:38.584,0:53:42.769 I mean this, brethren, [br]this is heaven on earth 0:53:42.769,0:53:44.120 for the lover of God. 0:53:44.120,0:53:45.240 It really is. 0:53:45.240,0:53:46.856 And no matter how long 0:53:46.856,0:53:50.338 that you have been a child of God, 0:53:50.338,0:53:52.112 you've got to protect this. 0:53:52.112,0:53:54.647 You've got to make efforts at this. 0:53:54.647,0:53:57.449 This has to be a priority. 0:53:57.449,0:53:59.070 We all make choices. 0:53:59.070,0:54:00.671 We all have priorities. 0:54:00.671,0:54:02.031 We all get up in the morning 0:54:02.031,0:54:05.493 with the same number of hours in a day. 0:54:05.503,0:54:07.433 Those who walk close with God 0:54:07.433,0:54:11.234 have the same number of hours. 0:54:11.234,0:54:13.397 How do we spend them? 0:54:13.397,0:54:15.666 What are we doing with them? 0:54:15.666,0:54:17.386 You need to guard 0:54:17.386,0:54:20.048 your relationship with the Father 0:54:20.048,0:54:21.171 and with the Son 0:54:21.171,0:54:22.985 and with the Holy Spirit. 0:54:22.985,0:54:25.251 I mean brethren, ask yourself this. 0:54:25.251,0:54:27.595 Ask, "When was the last time 0:54:27.595,0:54:30.982 you had a sweet time with the Lord?" 0:54:30.982,0:54:34.110 Where your heart jumped because He came! 0:54:34.111,0:54:36.331 Oh, maybe it was overwhelming. 0:54:36.337,0:54:39.797 Maybe it was just that still, small voice. 0:54:39.805,0:54:41.158 He just came. 0:54:41.158,0:54:42.654 He thrilled your souls. 0:54:42.654,0:54:45.297 You felt your soul melt because His Word 0:54:45.297,0:54:47.337 came to you personally. 0:54:47.337,0:54:49.226 I mean, you know when that happens, 0:54:49.226,0:54:50.470 "He spoke to me!" 0:54:50.470,0:54:54.250 I mean you're in the Word and it's for me! 0:54:54.250,0:54:56.686 Or you're out in prayer and [br]He comes and He says, 0:54:56.687,0:54:58.891 "I'm going to give you [br]what you just asked." 0:54:58.891,0:54:59.887 And you know it! 0:54:59.887,0:55:01.710 Or you're just [br]mediating on something 0:55:01.710,0:55:04.524 and suddenly you are so [br]blown away by His glory. 0:55:04.524,0:55:06.246 And it's because His Spirit has come 0:55:06.246,0:55:07.564 and opened your mind 0:55:07.564,0:55:09.057 and your understanding 0:55:09.057,0:55:11.492 and just swept you away. 0:55:11.492,0:55:13.744 Brethren, when has that happened? 0:55:13.744,0:55:17.288 Look, I'm not talking about 0:55:17.288,0:55:19.484 knowing God in theory. 0:55:19.484,0:55:21.388 I'm not talking about 0:55:21.388,0:55:24.614 just knowing in theory that He loves you. 0:55:24.614,0:55:28.352 Do you personally drink the love 0:55:28.352,0:55:31.301 of the Father and the Son? 0:55:31.301,0:55:33.774 Manifestly? 0:55:33.774,0:55:35.164 I'm not talking about just 0:55:35.164,0:55:37.303 diving into the theology book. 0:55:37.303,0:55:38.914 Do you know this? 0:55:38.914,0:55:39.950 Brethren! 0:55:39.950,0:55:42.730 Do you know this? 0:55:42.730,0:55:44.277 I mean, we have a Husband. 0:55:44.277,0:55:48.992 Didn't He give us that picture in Hosea? 0:55:48.992,0:55:51.546 But we're like Gomer. 0:55:51.546,0:55:53.159 What a name! Gomer. 0:55:53.159,0:55:59.365 But we're like her! 0:55:59.365,0:56:01.327 I always think of Gomer Pyle. 0:56:01.327,0:56:02.918 It's like a ridiculous name. 0:56:02.918,0:56:05.288 But, Gomer. 0:56:05.288,0:56:09.071 She's unfaithful. 0:56:09.071,0:56:13.651 And Hosea is like Christ. 0:56:13.662,0:56:16.610 Brethren, He comes along [br]to a bunch of prostitutes. 0:56:16.610,0:56:17.563 That's what we are. 0:56:17.563,0:56:20.086 That's what we were. 0:56:20.086,0:56:21.236 You'd say that's what 0:56:21.236,0:56:23.516 some of us are now. 0:56:23.516,0:56:25.594 That's what many of us were before. 0:56:25.594,0:56:27.808 Just prostitutes! 0:56:27.808,0:56:30.495 Just these unfaithful - 0:56:30.495,0:56:31.671 we were harlots. 0:56:31.671,0:56:34.305 We just gave ourselves freely 0:56:34.305,0:56:36.099 to our whoredom out there. 0:56:36.099,0:56:37.638 And He comes along 0:56:37.638,0:56:40.613 and He buys us off the slave block. 0:56:40.613,0:56:42.761 Is that not what He did? 0:56:42.761,0:56:45.985 He says, "I pay for you with My blood." 0:56:45.985,0:56:51.519 And now, I want you for Me. 0:56:51.519,0:56:56.084 I don't want you going and giving yourself 0:56:56.084,0:56:59.072 to all your other lovers anymore. 0:56:59.072,0:57:01.526 I want you for Me. 0:57:01.526,0:57:04.146 Brethren, that's a picture of the gospel. 0:57:04.146,0:57:05.730 That's what this is all about. 0:57:05.730,0:57:08.160 He wants us for Him. 0:57:08.160,0:57:11.646 He's bought us with a price. 0:57:11.646,0:57:14.157 Calls us to leave our other lovers 0:57:14.157,0:57:17.347 and surrender to His love. 0:57:17.347,0:57:21.962 To be that garden that He delights in. 0:57:21.962,0:57:24.130 If you all you ever [br]heard is Christianity is 0:57:24.130,0:57:26.531 just be saved from your [br]sin and saved from hell. 0:57:26.531,0:57:28.979 Brethren, this goes much deeper. 0:57:28.979,0:57:33.578 This thing is beautiful and [br]precious to the uttermost. 0:57:33.578,0:57:37.192 Don't sell it for a song. 0:57:37.192,0:57:38.983 Brethren, priorities. 0:57:38.983,0:57:42.814 Priorities. 0:57:42.814,0:57:45.196 Choices. 0:57:45.196,0:57:48.634 May God help us. 0:57:48.634,0:57:52.801 Father, we ask for Your grace. 0:57:52.801,0:57:54.082 We ask for the power 0:57:54.082,0:57:56.457 of the Spirit of God. 0:57:56.457,0:57:58.553 Make this a reality. 0:57:58.553,0:58:00.308 Oh Lord, we know that you want us 0:58:00.308,0:58:02.274 to walk with you in worship, in honor, 0:58:02.280,0:58:05.772 in praise, in love. 0:58:05.772,0:58:11.365 We know that this is [br]indeed the chief thing. 0:58:11.365,0:58:16.274 Giving our lives to You. 0:58:16.274,0:58:18.256 Giving ourselves entirely; 0:58:18.258,0:58:21.351 a sacrifice upon the altar of God 0:58:21.351,0:58:22.776 to be consumed 0:58:22.776,0:58:31.956 by Your fire of love for Your people. 0:58:31.956,0:58:36.942 Lord, I pray for the [br]grace for this church. 0:58:36.942,0:58:38.221 That above all things 0:58:38.221,0:58:42.376 no matter what you do with us, 0:58:42.376,0:58:46.308 Lord, I pray, 0:58:46.308,0:58:49.662 pray that you would make this church, 0:58:49.662,0:58:54.281 at whatever cost necessary; 0:58:54.281,0:58:55.675 whatever you have to bring, 0:58:55.675,0:58:59.771 whatever fire to purify, 0:58:59.771,0:59:04.012 whatever comforts to help, 0:59:04.012,0:59:06.585 whatever is necessary, Lord. 0:59:06.585,0:59:08.975 I pray that You would make this church 0:59:08.975,0:59:10.683 what You want it to be. 0:59:10.683,0:59:15.204 Fruitful, beautiful in your sight. 0:59:15.204,0:59:19.172 Lord, spare us nothing 0:59:19.172,0:59:21.176 that you've given to your elect people 0:59:21.176,0:59:22.234 through the ages. 0:59:22.234,0:59:24.544 Spare us nothing 0:59:24.544,0:59:27.788 that will propel us forward 0:59:27.788,0:59:31.928 into these degrees of glory. 0:59:31.938,0:59:33.998 That will propel us forward 0:59:33.998,0:59:36.228 into a deeper intimacy 0:59:36.228,0:59:38.709 and knowing you with that knowledge, 0:59:38.709,0:59:44.419 that oh, that is so sweet and so valuable. 0:59:44.419,0:59:45.586 Help us, Lord, 0:59:45.586,0:59:47.218 we pray in Christ's name. 0:59:47.218,0:59:48.115 Amen.