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The Pursuit God

The Pursuit God. - Apprehending God - . “a personal experience”. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (NIV1984) v14: The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand, because they are spiritually discerned.

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The Pursuit God

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  1. The Pursuit God - Apprehending God - “a personal experience” 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (NIV1984) v14: The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand, because they are spiritually discerned.

  2. Apprehending God Three conditions that can enable or hinder our ability to truly have a personal experience with God…. • Our vision - What do we see? • Is our vision driven by the things of the Spirit, • Or, driven by our desires? • Our faith - What do we really believe? • Do we believe the things of God, • Or, believe in ourselves? • Our actions - How does that belief take shape? • Do we live by the Spirit, • Or, by what feels good?

  3. Our vision - What do we see? • Is our vision driven by the things of the Spirit, or, driven by our desires? • John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. • The Awe Factor of God • Hebrews 1:1-2. 1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

  4. Our vision - What do we see? • Psalms 139:7-12. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. • Romans 1:20 makes a clear statement that 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. • 2 Kings 6:17 “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

  5. Our vision - What do we see? • The Bible also supports the spiritual existence of God through several accounts of God manifested himself in different ways to different people: • Adam - Genesis 3:9 • Abraham - Genesis 18-1 • Jacob - Genesis 32:28-30 • Stephen - Acts 7: 55-56 • Solomon -1 Kings 11:9 • Moses - Deuteronomy 5:4 & Exodus 33:18 • Balaam - Numbers 22:21-34

  6. Our vision - What do we see? • “We apprehend the physical world by exercising the faculties given us for the purpose, and we possess spiritual faculties by means of which we can know God and the spiritual world if we will obey the Spirit’s urge and begin to use them…..” • ……..“the spiritual faculties of the unregenerate man lie asleep in his nature, unused and for every purpose dead; that is the stroke which has fallen upon us by sin. They may be quickened to active life again by the operation of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.” • A.W.Tozer

  7. Our vision - What do we see? • We can be regenerated by the Holy Spirit; but…… • First,we must get rid of the sin in our lives! It obstructs our vision of God. • 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

  8. Our vision - What do we see? • We can be regenerated by the Holy Spirit; but…… • First,we must get rid of the sin in our lives! It obstructs our vision of God. • 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. • Second, we must remove the influences! We must be able to put in perspective or in some cases dispel years of acquired skills and influences, and hold true the right foundation. • Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

  9. Our vision - What do we see? • We can be regenerated by the Holy Spirit; but…… • Third, we must stop trying to figure God out! We are limited in our ability to see God because we settle on the belief that it must fit into some quantifiably standard that makes sense to us. • Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. • Isaiah 55:8-98“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. • God has the most amazing plan for us. We don’t need to understand it, all we need to do is trust in him and surrender everything to him.

  10. Our faith - What do we really believe? • Do we believe the things of God, or, believe in ourselves? • Unbelief restricts our ability to see God. Hebrews 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. • Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. • John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him andshow myself to him.” • “Where faith is defective the result will be inward insensibility and numbness toward spiritual things.” – Tozer.

  11. Our faith - What do we really believe? • Faith comes from hearing…… • When we hear we must believe…… • When we believe we must respond…… • When we respond we will be blessed. • We will be blessed in experiencing God on a greater level.

  12. Responding to the Presence of God

  13. Responding to the Presence of God

  14. Responding to the Presence of God

  15. Responding to the Presence of God

  16. Our faith - What do we really believe? • Hebrews 10: 21-2321 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. • Psalm 9:10 reminds us that “those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

  17. Our actions - How does that belief take shape? • Do we live by the Spirit, or, by what feels good? • 1 Corinthians 2:14- The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand, because they are spiritually discerned. • 2 Chronicles 16: 9- For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

  18. Our actions - How does that belief take shape? • Be doers of the word and not just hearers only. • James 1: 22-2522 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. • “God Himself is here waiting our response to His Presence. The eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to recon upon its reality.” Tozer

  19. Our actions - How does that belief take shape? • 2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. • Ask God for more faith {Matthew 7:7-12; James 1:5} because it pleases God {Hebrews 11:6}. And after you ask Him you ought to be seeking him through his word. It will tell you what faith looks like. It provides many examples {Hebrews 11}. And then you’ve got to truly live it. Put into practice what the Holy Spirit teaches you through the word of God as well as through life experiences.

  20. CONCLUSION • The key to Apprehending God is a personal unwavering relationship with Him. • He seeks us in this world and he gives us the tools to see him in the spiritual world. The question then remains; are we going to continue this mediocre surface relationship or, are we going to have a personal, meaningful, unwavering relationship with God? • Going boldly before him, we must…get rid of our sins, remove the influences, stop trying to figure him out, and seek him with all our heart. • The God of Angel Armies • Hebrews 10: 21-2321 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

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