Quiet Times Search

If God's people will humble themselves pray and seek his face, he will hear from heaven and forgive us - 2 Chronicles 7:11-16

Even after the temple was built, God was concerned whether his people will still seek him

God himself was often "felt" but not "found" - He has the same concern today

Difference: being members / having a deep personal and individual relationship with God

In his pride the wicked does not seek him - Psalms 10:1-4

One thing I ask: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, gaze upon the beauty - Psalms 27:1-9

Nothing will satisfy like seeking his face

• Abraham - allowed to question and challenge
• David - God patient during his accusations
• Job - allowed to vent his bitterness
• Moses - told God exactly how he felt

• You are working with God
• You are representing God

We enjoy accomplishment: meeting a deadline, A on a test

Imagine the incredible feeling God must have experienced when he first viewed his own creation:

• Enjoyed developing Israel into a beautiful bride - Ezekiel 16:1-4
• Joyously san through the angels when his Son was born - Luke 2:8-14
• When the church was born - Acts 2

How would iy affect your prayer life if you had a deep conviction that God enjoys his relationship with you?
Sometime I feel like a bother to God, a frustration to him or a source of disappointment

God Enjoys Hearing Us Talking to Him
The longer we are in the Lord, the more secure and real we should be in our prayers
David communicated whatever he felt - God was able to discipline him to be the "man after his own heart"
Do you enjoy the fact that you can be totally real with God?

God Enjoys Watching Us
Parents enjoy children playing soccer, sing in a play, and read the Bible
God is the same way

• Before dawn - Mark 1:35
• Sometimes all night - Luke 6:12
• He remained to pray - Matthew 14:23

Luke 7:11-17 - He said, "Don't cry", Jesus chose to be vulnerable to everyone's pain:

• His heart ached for a woman whom he had never meet
• Immediately felt her pain
• Was not oblivious to other's pain
• He gave her reason to rejoice - through his death

Jesus compassion knows no bounds
How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ - Ephesians 3:18

Are you praying to stretch the capacity of your heart to feel deeply with many others?

Is your lack of openness (rooted in fear of the sin of pride) blocking your passion and compassion?

Some people's needs could be quickly dealt with: "Heal my blindness" or "Let me just touch your garment"

But not Nicodemus, Jesus knew it would be a long night - John 3:1-3

Nicodemus, was a man looking for something:

• Groun up learning about God
• Surrounded by a system caught up in traditions
• Knew the Bible stories
• Very active in the Jewish faith
• Jesus capured his attention by his teachings and his works
• Felt that there was something missing

Could this be right? Could Jesus be the Messiah?

Jesus was straight to the point: I tell you the truth, you must be born again - John 3:3
He needed a wake up call - Same lesson we need today - we need a new birth
He was part a system of legalism  (following rules with seeking the heart of God)
People trying to earn what God desired to just give them

Nicodemus knew he could get time with Jesus and he did
He receieved the answer and Jesus taught him the depth of God's love

Who was intrumental in answering your questions and healping you see the truth?
What sacrifices do you see that they made for you?
Are you doing the same for others?

• Many people would have not stopped to chat
• Most would have averted eye contact
• Jews saw blindness as punishment for some sin - John 9:2
• Jesus saw an opportunity to heal and teach - so God might be displayed in his life - John 9:3
• Jesus acted but not predictably - felt something moist and hear go wash
• Blind man simply went - true blind obedience

• Simple honest - I was blind but now I see - John 9:25
• Childlike innocence - Do you want to become his disciples too? - John 9:27
• Boldness - John 9:27

Upon hearing about the death of his close friend Lazarus, Jesus wept...

Jesus really felt the emotions that we feel
He fully divine and fully human at the same time
He knows what it is like to experience loss, pain, hurt, and fatigue

Why did he cry? Scripture does not say. Could be because:

• He felt the hurt of Mary and Martha
• He was expressing the hurt of the loss of his friend
• He was antipating his own death

Who are your deepest relationships in the church?

• Abraham's desert wanderings
• Moses' shameful flight to Midian
• Jacob's marital woes
• Hannah's years of barrenness
  
• Ruth's widowness and loneliness
• David's years as a fugitive

a. Choose to pray for other first
b. Living what he preached – Pray for your enemies

a. He wanted to make sure other were taken care of before he left

a. Show he was generous with the undeserving
b. Similar to the parable about the servants being paid the same with different lengths of service

a. Felt his need for God and separation from him

a. Jesus was aware of his limitation
b. Hebrews 4:15-16 – Jesus can sympathize with our pain

a. Foundation of his work was finished
b. Some thought this was the end of his ministry

a. Conforms Jesus unswerving commitment

Mark 2:15-17

Nonconformist

• He challenged popular thinking to inspire them to think again about how they were living.
• Are you willing to rock the boat?
• People of impact won’t accept because we have always have do it this way.
• Every great historic change has been bought by blood or the reputation of non-conformists.
• People who are unwilling to venture out into unfamiliar territory will never men of impact
• More difficult for people who feel they have achieved a great deal

Protector

• Legalism occurs when one values an easy decision over true justice.
• When Jesus gave direction, he assumed responsibility for their actions
• Jesus stood up for his disciples.
• They probably felt very safe around Him (love always protects)
• Without protection, insecurity can be seen more and in the “Me” generation.

Challenger

• To say that Jesus quietly and humbly pointed out their wrongs would be inaccurate
• He didn’t go after their ego, he went straight to the heart.

• Many call press conferences to get there side of the story our first
• Once guilt is found, party than give a “heart-felt” apology – sorrow for getting caught
• Sin is destructive. It ruins relationships, reputation, peace of mind and personal integrity

• Some believe the abundance of tears is repentance
  • Forgiven women (forgiven)
  • Peter, Paul vs Cain (became angry)
  • Esau (wailed loudly)
  • Judas (deeply regretted)
• All three shed tear but not one repented
• Claiming to be a victim doesn’t make one a victim
• Tears can be self-affirming to one with self-pity (can become more sinful)
• Ones mostly likely to enable and least likely to help you

• Love is the only way to win the free response of men
• Work of the Holy Spirit
  • Must be born again
  • Christ began His ministry by being baptized - John 3:3-9
  • Made clean through the Word and set apart to God for Holy Service - John 15:3
  • Only the Spirit can carry on the redemptive mission of evangelism
  • Jesus was God in revelation but the Spirit was God in operation
  • Evangelism was not a human undertaking but a divine project.
• With Him they felt that everything was possible
• The superhuman work to which they were called demanded superhuman help.
• Through confession of their deep-seated pride and enmity in utterly surrender of themselves to Christ
• It is not who we are but Who He us that makes the difference
• Only those who followed Jesus all the way came to know the glory of this experience
• Jesus was deliberately investing all He had in these few men so that they could be properly prepared to do His work.
• We cannot give something away which we do not possess ourselves.
• The very ability to give to give away our life in Christ is proof of its possession.

Practicals for being like Jesus - putting others above ourselves:

1. Make a list of specific time when someone has met your needs - remember how you felt
2. Think in detail about others needs around you - family, friends, other Christians
3. Put yourself is other's shoes - How would you want you to treat you?
4. Do it now. - Don't just think - DO
5. Think about ways others don't want to be treated
6. Don't do these things
7. Maintain a grateful heart and attitude toward God and others
8. Keep meeting others needs with praise or recongnition

Paul wanted to remind the Philippians of the blessings of their relationship with Jesus - Philippians 2:1-4
He called them to "be like-minded, having the same love" for each other

By this all men will know we are Jesus' disciple by our love - John 13:35

"Sharing in the common life" ws his heartfelt vision for them

He applealed to them to be one to initiate this kind of love
To love like Jesus is to love first
We love because he first loved us - 1 John 4:19
God did not wait for us to initiate and get an attitude because we didn't

It is not natural to love this way
Jesus does not ask of us something he did not do or something we cannot do

Will we trust the message he lived and taught?
Will we be the kind of friend to others that he has been to us?

Although the voice was kind, the question felt harsh
Do you want to get well? - John 5:6
He thought: why else would I have spent every day for the past 38 seasons lying here?

How long can we sustain desire against continual disappointment?
The man at the well began to lose any virtal heart-connection to what he want - he had abandoned desire

By asking him what he wanted, Jesus took him back into desire
Why? It is where we must go if we are to meet God

• Jesus spoke the truth without concern for opposition
•  What do you need to say to who?

• Jesus stood up for people
• Who do you need to stand up for?

• Jesus felt other's pain
•  People have more pain their lives than you think
•  Who needs your help?

• Throughout all our trials, Jesus kept going
• What could stop you?

Preached by Dan Rice on 2002-09-15

Matthew 8:1-3

• He may have felt unimportant
• He may have felt unworthy
• He may have felt unconvinced
• Jesus was willing - are you?
• What is your lepersy?
  • self
  • situation
  • mental
  • physical
• Jesus willing to be served?
• Are you willing to serve? Reachout? Love?

Love the Unloved

Matthew 20:29-34

• What do you want?
• He had compassion not pity
• Are willing to love the unlovable?

Love the Unloving

Matthew 5:43-48

• Jews were bitter about the Romans
• Do you love who those who hate you?
• Give them your heart?

Love the Unlovely

Matthew 15:29-31

• Are you religious or loving?
• What angers you?
• What you willing to do?
• What are not willing to do?

1. List some benefits of knowing Christ
2. Review the promises of Christ for this life and the next
3. Thank and worship Him for the countless blessings of knowing Him