Drawing Near

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Drawing Near

• Marlene, Pris George

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The Greatest Invitation of All Time

• Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
• James 48
• There is a call - no, a cry coming from the heart
  of God that intensifies everyday,
• Why are you satisfied without My presence why
  do you remain distant when you could have
  intimacy with Me?
• Friends and family hold a special place in our
  hearts. What about God?

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The Greatest Invitation of All Time

• In the book of Exodus, notice a contrast of
  attitudes and behavioral patterns of Moses vs his
  kinsmen, the children of Israel
• Abrahams descendants suffered under harsh
  captivity in Egypt for 400 years
• They enjoyed favour initially before they were
  enslaved and cruelly mistreated. In their agony,
  they began to cry out to God for deliverance
• God was moved by their prayers and sent Moses to
  be their deliverer
• Moses though born a Hebrew, hed escaped slavery
  and was raised as a grandson to Pharaoh in his
  household

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The Greatest Invitation of All Time

• As a prince of Egypt, he was moved by the plight
  of his brethren but had to flee for his life to
  the wilderness only to return years later and
  deliver Israel from their bondage by Gods Word
  and power
• Though they suffered all this cruelty, they were
  quick to forget.
• After their deliverance from Egypt, whenever
  things went wrong, they would forget their flight
  from Egypt and mock their prayers with comments
  like It was better for us back in Egypt or Let
  us select a leader and return to Egypt. (Num
  144)
• But Moses was different. He was the only one
  where things were better in Egypt.
• However, he willingly left all this behind, and
  unlike the children of Israel, he never looked
  back nor longed for what was behind

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The mountain in Egypt where Moses led the people
of Israel
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The Greatest Invitation of All Time

• What made the difference?
• - Moses had encountered God.
• - He saw the fire and drew near!
• - He met the living God in a burning bush on
  Sinai
• Israel did not!
• When God called Moses aside, he drew near
• When the children of Israel were presented with
  an even more wonderful invitation, they drew back
  (Ex 2018-21)

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The Greatest Invitation of All Time

• Where was Moses bringing the children of Israel
  when they left Egypt?
• - The promised land?
• - Not quite true
• - He was headed for Mount Sinai
• Gods words to Pharaoh, through Moses were,
• Let my people go, so that they may worship me
  in the desert.
• (Ex 716)
• It was not Let my people go, so they can
  inherit a land.
• Why would Moses take them to their promised land
  before first introducing them to the Promiser,
  God himself?

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The Greatest Invitation of All Time

• Do we preach more of what Jesus will do for us
  rather than who He really is?
• Blessings of God vs Relationship with God
• You have not brought us into a land flowing with
  milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of
  fields and vineyards (Num 1614)
• Moses said to himself, I will now turn aside and
  see (Ex 33)
• God pursued Moses because he responded
• He may not call us at our most convenient time.
  Its up to us to respond to his call, wherever
  whenever

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The Greatest Invitation of All Time

• Our God is not a dramatic God. (1 Sam 3) He could
  have called Samuel in a more dramatic way but He
  did not
• Now about the fourth watch of the night, He came
  to them, walking on the sea, and would have
  passed them by. (Mark 648)
• God will not force Himself on their company if
  they had not called out to Him

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Gods Pursuit

• Gods heart cry throughout the ages. He pursued
  the following who pleased him
• - Enoch (Heb 115) By faith Enoch was taken up
  so that he should not see death, and he was found
  no more because God had taken him. Before he was
  taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.
• - Noah (Gen 69) Noah, a good man and blameless
  in that age, for he walked with God.
• - Abraham (Gen 171) When Abram was 99 yrs old,
  the Lord appeared to him and said, I am God the
  Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless.
• - Jacob (Rom 913) As it is written I love
  Jacob but hated Esau.
• - Moses (Ex 3414) For He is a God who is
  passionate about His relationship with you.

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Gods Pursuit

• Gods love never wavered. His ultimate desire for
  us is found in Jesus
• Luke 1910, Jesus said, I, the Son of Man, have
  come to seek and to save what was lost
• His thoughts towards us individually are
  numerous! (Psalms 13917-8)
• We pursue what we value --gt Buy a gift that we
  feel is worth the value of the price
• What is our value to God? (John 316)
• God gave Jesus as the ransom for us. No one and
  nothing else could have purchased us. Psalm 498
  The ransom for a life is costly, no payment is
  ever enough.

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Gods Pursuit

• Yes, but Im just one of many - Jesus still
  would have pursued and ransomed you at this great
  price even if its only just you!
• Jesus and his disciples just disembarked when
  they met a demon possessed madman. Instead of
  ignoring him, he had great value in Jesus eyes.
  Jesus crossed the sea and fought through a storm
  just to minister to a possessed outcast!
• Mark 521, When Jesus had crossed again (in the
  boat) to the other side
• Are you worth less than a possessed lunatic?

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A church at Kursi (the Plain of Gergasa) which is
the supposed place where Jesus delivered a demon
possessed man and the devils went into pigs which
ran down the hill into the Sea of Galilee
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The Prodigal Son

• The father ran towards his younger son when he
  saw him approaching from afar
• He did not just sit and wait at home for his son
  to return and beg for his forgiveness
• Likewise, God is always waiting for us to repent
  and go back to him.
• When God Ran video

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Protect Your Hunger

• A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb.
  Proverbs 277
• If your soul is filled with cares, pleasures, the
  love of riches and the desires of the world,
  youll be full and actually despise the sweet
  honeycomb of Gods fellowship
• Eg Potluck party one after another - Youll be
  too full to consume whats good because youve
  already filled yourself up with so much food at
  the previous party
• Jesus sent His words to the final church in the
  book of Revelations
• He sent letters to 7 Asian churches. The messages
  were not intended only for historic churches, but
  for all of us!

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Protect Your Hunger

• Jesus declared this church to be in a lukewarm
  state. They lack passion and rarely went out of
  their way to please Him.
• What caused this behaviour?
• Its their outlook on life!
• Jesus said, Because you say, I am rich, have
  become wealthy, and have need of nothing (Rev
  317)
• These words show their lack of passion - for
  their souls are satisfied sadly not in Him, but
  in worldly possessions.
• David thirst and hunger for intimacy with God,
  even though hes so wealthy. (Psalm 861) Hear
  me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and
  oppressed.

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Protect Your Hunger

• Rev 320 Here I am! I stand at the door and
  knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the
  door, I will come in and eat with him, and he
  with me.
• We will hunger what we feed on
• - If we love junk food/ shopping, our body will
  continually crave for it
• An unhealthy extreme --gt Eccl 1212, Of the
  making of many books there is no end, and in much
  study there is weariness for the flesh.
• Take time to rest and play! Mark 631, Come
  aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest
  a while
• If you dont give your body the rest it needs,
  you block your ability to hear from God and grow

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Protect Your Hunger

• But Im too busy! With what?
• Why do we feed ourselves physically?
• --gt To nourish and strengthen our bodies
• If we go without food for days, our stomach will
  complain. But the opposite is true spiritually
• The voice of our inner man becomes quieter as
  time goes on. Our spirit is weakened and our
  flesh becomes more dominant.
• Hunger is your spiritual thermometer. Are you
  backsliding? Falling into sinful habits? Maintain
  a healthy appetite!

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Protect Your Hunger

• Isaiah 423, Smoking flax He will not quench
• --gt Expiring wick of a lamp, when the oil is
  almost consumed, the flame yields to a feeble
  dying vapour of smoke
• God will not quench the dying ember, but would
  rather fan it back into a flame. He continues to
  pursue us even when we are dwindling.
• Above all else, guard your heart. (Proverbs
  423)
• Guard, watch over, protect! --gt Pornography,
  vulgarities, drugs
• The Lord satisfies the longing soul and fills
  the hungry soul with goodness (Psalm 1079)

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End of Part 1
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Reflection Sharing

• 1) Consider these examples of Gods invitation to
  draw near
• Moses saw a burning bush and turned aside to
  investigate. In doing so, God called out to him
• Samuel heard a voice four times before he
  responded, Speak Lord, for Your servant is
  listening.
• When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the
  water, walking as if He would pass them by, they
  cried out.
• Which of these examples best describes Gods
  invitation to you?
• Have you responded? If so, what was your response?

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Reflection Sharing

• 2) Proverbs 423 says, Above all else, guard
  your heart
• What steps can you take today to protect your
  heart?
• Is there some spiritual junk food in your diet
  which need so to be eliminated or replaced?