Seeking the Lord - Part 1

Welcome to the intensified Catholic child standing Wednesday, March 23. Today the talents to set your heart on God and focus on pursuing hand they went that and discover about the requirements and benefits of seeking the Lord, we are emotion in pursuit we pursue just about everything you can imagine, not only will and relationships, clothing, gadgets, just think about all the things that we pursue sports all kind of situations and circumstances that crop up in our life. We are after this, and that's about enough of the other. That's who we are and somehow, amidst all of these things that are out there in front of is that so distract us. I wonder sometimes where God fits in the way we position things in our life is the first and foremost or is he an afterthought. Is he the most important person in her life.

Was he just one of the many people in our life. Where does God fit and all you turn to the hundred and fifth Psalm for a moment I was look at this passage hundred fifth Psalm in just a few verses is the sum of real action, and of course look to see what is the object of this and who it's all about listener what he says beginning in verse 10 give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples sing the hymn sing praises to speak of all of his wonders Lori in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad seek the Lord and his strength seek his face continually so notice it's a sum of action, giving thanks calling making known singing speaking glorying seeking all of these things have to do with what will who God is what he's all about thought asking this if somebody said to you. Do you ever seek the Lord, what would you say what you have to say will what you mean by seek and why should I think somebody already have but it's interesting in the Scriptures that many times were admonished to seek you go back and what Moses was saying to Israel about seeking the Lord what David was saying to Israel about seeking the Lord in Isaiah and Jeremiah and all through the Old Testament. We are admonished to seek him and when we come to the 11th chapter of Hebrews that a whole biographical sketch of people whose faith was so outstanding in the Scripture says when we come to Emily.

We must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

So when we think about seeking him, what are we thinking about so when I think about that I think about in this light. If I'm already a believer and I'm seeking the Lord. It means that I want to go further in my relationship not just to be say you probably trusted Jesus as your Savior. Some time ago you said well you know when he forgave me of my sins wrote my name in the Lamb's book of life came to end well. Maybe the Holy Spirit. What else is there that is just the beginning.

Only the beginning when we are admonished to seek the Lord, that means with to come to him asking for direction seeking to build a deeper, more intimate relationship with him because that's what he's up to. He said he predestined that you and I would be conformed to the image of his son and that would all our having an intimate relationship with him.

So when I seek him. I want to know more about it. I want to have a more intimate relationship. I want to talk to them. I want to listen to.

I want to have a conversation with them. I want to be able to observe him working in my life in some fashion. If I'm seeking him.

I want to know him better, more deeply, more intimately than ever before. For example, when you not say that just getting in the door and named in the Lamb's book of life. We are on our way to living it out, but the truth is in the mind of God that is just the beginning. He wants us to get to know him. Why, because for example, he desires that you are not seeking, that is, he does not everyone is to be satisfied where we are in our Christian life. There is a sense of satisfaction and peace and contentment and joy at the same time. Here's the paradox, the more satisfied I become with him. The more dissatisfied I become, the more satisfied I am with him of what I learned in my relationship with then all that doesn't just create more hunger, more yearning, more desire to know him because when will you not ever ever fathom all that God is we never will. He's fathomless. You and I will never know him. To the fullest, but he desires that you and I began the moment with say so to seek him us to pray to him to listen to him to talk to him to grow with him and I have a more intimate relationship with him, and many people sadly to say are very satisfied. Trusting Jesus as Savior. John the church get baptized living out the Christian life casually with no sense of real purpose, no sense of direction and listen and willing to live it out as if it's a casual acquaintance with Almighty God, that some of the Christian life is all about the Christian life is serious business about having a serious relationship with the God who created every single one of us has absolute power, of all things, knows all things and is made as these awesome promises. That's who is this is why the wrath of Scripture. He says with his seek him and will seek him with all of the hard now, let's think about it from the point of view of the lost person.

So if those persons or what a minor seek. Why should I be seeking God. I have a nice home.

Have a good family or have a good car and I have a good job in the everything is going to want one. I will seek God, I'm glad I'm not a Christian. I want to seek him is what you tell him you say will let me give you some very biblical reasons why you should seek God beginning in Isaiah chapter 59 if you want to follow some of these verses Isaiah chapter 59 is a good reason you should seek the Lord, what is that what his number one because the Scripture says your iniquities have made a separation between you and God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear you if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior don't have a relationship with God and he says besides that, standing between you and God of all these sins you may whisper prayers and your emergencies, but he does not hear you. A second thing he says in Romans chapter 1. If you want to turn there for a moment awesome chapter in the Bible and the here's a second reason I would say to someone who is not a Christian that your to be seeking the Lord because it's what he says. He says in the 18th verse of Romans one the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and women who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them. And God has made it evident to them that if he says God's wrath. God's wrath exist upon those who have turned away, but 1/3 reason you should seek him. Is this in this first chapter in this 28th verse of very serious verse in the Bible when he says, and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.

A depraved mind is the mind that cannot form right judgments.

When a person lives in sin over and over and over again reduces the gospel rejects the gospel is what happens there hard against the hard and he says a depraved monism on that cannot form right judgments and what they don't realize the person says well you know I'm not concerned about religion are concerned about church unity get concerned about God because God's wrath rest upon you and when you live in sin and deliberately will further reject him refused to seek him turn a deaf heir to the gospel what's happening all the time. As he says in Hebrews, and that is the heart begins the heart when you hear the gospel over and over and over and over again that can come in time when you can't file that would be the most tragic thing that could happen to anybody to sin against God, to the point that all feeling for God.

All desire for God or sensitivity to God all interest in God whatsoever is gone and you're walking like a dead man. So somebody's visual once you lost person be seeking I'm answering that question for you right now that is simply for the reason it is a dangerous thing. Not to listen to God and to seek him. It is a dangerous thing. Listen.

It isn't just temporarily dangerous. It is eternally dangerous to reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. I would say if you've never trusted Jesus. There is a very specific definite set of reasons you should be asking God to speak to you in the serenity lifetime. Okay, so some others as well. Now women understand that for the lost person but here I am a Christian and you have explained that when you trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. He comes into your life. The Holy Spirit comes in life and seals use a child of God, so why should I be seeking God and I'm already a Christian. What am I looking for why my seeking anything. Let's think about it for a moment when you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Paul puts it this way.

He says you like a babe in Christ. So you're born again.

Jesus said, and so why should you seek the Lord, because God does not intend for you to remain in babyhood in your Christian life that is you call John 316 that celebration quote so you know you that your Christian. You say, here's what I did not get baptized.

I know that I'm a Christian. I want all my looking for in life, you missed the whole point, because Alyssa and he said he predestined he predetermined that when you are saved, you begin at that moment the beacon home to the likeness of his son. God knows his. He wants us to know him. He wants us to know him intimately. He wants us to know him personally because what he saying is this letter I want a relationship with you.

I will relationship so that I can reveal to you who are really down.

I want you to understand how much I love you I want you to understand that you can absolutely comfortably trust me in every situation. I want you to know that I'm on your side.

I want you know that I have made a promise that I will cause everything to work together for your good, if you will follow me and love me and obey me and trust me, I'll turn everything, difficulties, hardships, trial suffering alternate all for your good eye when you get to know me because God listen. He is omniscient and omnipotent and omnipresent is unchangeable.

He's truthful.

He's holy he's righteous, he's merciful. He's all of these things, and most people if you asking describe God they could just use a few adjectives because they've never saw him listen if you love him you will seek to know him better.

And if you're brand-new Christian you should be seeking to know him better and seeking to know him isn't just getting information read the Bible, but it's also listening and watching and observing how this got hacked. That is when I think about all the things that I would like to know about God in the beginning to know in my life. One of the things that I treasure most is I love to observe how he works. I want to know how God thinks I will know how he works out of why does this way does that. Why does the other. Do I have all the answers, no I do not, but I have enough to keep me so excited and searching and seeking and listening and observing what he does not own in my life and the lives of other people and one of the ways that God shows us what he's like and what he wants to do now. Life is he will open your eyes to see what he's doing other people's lives.

We watch a operates on people's lives. They will Lord you blessing them and I certainly want to be obedient to you so you can bless me. He wants us to know him and know him on a level that most people have no interest or even idea that they can no him on that level. Listen we know him about that. Think in he's fathomless, he's absolutely fabulous.

You never exhaust two years, it will always be that as we said before and I said again is what happens when you begin to understand who is what is like you want more and more and more and more disabled.

When will I get enough of him never and I think many people somehow in their thinking. It never dawns on them that if I love him. I'll talk about it if I love him I will pursue him that he will be my number one pursuit watch this carefully whatever is your number one pursuit other than God. Sooner or later your listen you going to lose it. Are you gonna hurt it. Are you going to be damaged by whatever is number one ahead of God in your life.

I can tell you something he already has his hand on it for the simple reason he loves was too much to let us get by with. He says with a seek and so it's a daily challenge in all of our lives and we have to ask ourselves the question Lord, am I in one of those stages where I'm disorder casually living the Christian life and are serious about following you and being obedient to you. He says with a seek him now.

Which leads me to what I want to consider here for a moment that is so we talk about listening to them seeking in August. What's required of me. What's required of us up with the seek the Lord listen, we're talking about having a relationship with Almighty God.

What's required of me, can I say will you know when I decide.

The prayer will not read the Bible I will and when I go to church.

I will is a serious business. So first of all of you say will seek him with all of our heart and that means he's a priority he's number one.

He's first is a most important person in our life.

Listen to this like it one more passage on Isaiah 55 and because this is very, very, very important. If I'm going to seek the Lord with all of my heart is something I have to remember in this 55th chapter in the six verses seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon the waters near let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord. Now watch this carefully. I cannot seek the Lord over here and be living in sin over here though is that doesn't work, I made you live and send the sink along my going to both Abbott there may be a time in your life and when you seeking him and maybe there's some weakness in your life you listen and you having to struggle or something. But listen, if you seeking the Lord and is a struggle.

It's one thing if you seeking a living and sending, not connecting the two. You listen you can't seek and find what you're looking for, and wholeness. I'm sending you like because he says your iniquities have separated you from this menu going to be lost if you're Christian but you cannot play both sides at the same time if I love him up. I'm seeking him I'm willing to get rid of all the stuff and things in my life that don't fit who I am as a follower of Jesus. Then when I see him I'm going to discover I'm going to find out something I'm going to have a relationship that is so deep beyond my comprehension.

But I must seek him with all of my heart. Now you have to ask yourself this question. What other desires are in your life is a very interesting passage in the Deuteronomy chapter 4 I like it.

Look at this fourth chapter and the 19 person.

Sometimes Christians get caught up in these things, and they should not listen this very clear word of God we talking about. If you don't seek him. You can have other stuff in your life.

Listen, this verse 19. The fourth chapter and the where not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars and all the host of heaven and the drawing away and worship them and serve them. Those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples on the whole have that you say will I'm not will not worship anything up there one unanswered question, what is that piece in the paper that has your month of birth on uncertainties they Harlow scope relative you say will now that doesn't mean anything while you read it. Did you know that you read that seeking guidance. He says don't do that because one wanted that they're talking about you know what's in the heavens. And if you're born under this and under that none of them you need to be born again you get everyone know that what I what I want you to see what I want you to see here is this that from God's perspective that doesn't fit who we are pieces we not to be looking at those things we are to be doing what with all the hardware to be seeking him in your member David said he said my heart pants after the Lord God, like the deer pants after the water, so I would ask you what are you the hungriest for the day.

What is it really stirs you up. What is it that motivates you. Who is it you want to know what is it you want to accomplish what you want God to do in your life. If God said okay here's a blank paper.

Write it out. Would you write down after you wrote it down within his will and purpose and plan for your life within the word of God, you have some time somebody says Gladys don't know how to live like they had lived this decide you going to be obedient to God. You say will have Michael know what that means in the word of God. He makes it very very clear we are to seek him with all of her heart. Thank you for listening to, seeking the Lord. If you'd like to know more about child family were intact ministries intact.

Start l-lysine this podcast is a presentation of intense ministries advantage to