Walking with God – Part 2

Message Date: April 3, 2022
Bible

  • ‭‭17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • Grace: un-earned, underserved, unmerited favor and blessing from God (not performance based)
    • Truth: living in victory (freedom)
  • 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • He came to extend grace to their fallen condition and give truth so they could walk in freedom.
      • Not about rules, but relationship.
  • Eternal life: quality not quantity
  • Eternal Life is: to know Him.
    • 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ‭‭John‬ ‭17:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
      • To know: Greek ; Ginosko. To know by experience, intimately and personally.
  • Eternal life is: fellowship with Him
    • 3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭AMPC‬‬
  • God is jealous for you.
    • 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James‬ ‭4:5, 7-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 

Is conversational intimacy with God possible?

  • It’s about the person beyond the page.
    1     ‭‭Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. John‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

    • Jesus becomes aware he isn’t going to be around  forever. He begins to teach about the most important things–what they needed to know to be successful after He’s gone.
    • If you take a birds eye view of John 13-17, it is all in red letters, and there are two themes that stand out:
      • 1. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through the life of a believer, the teaching and guidance ministry
      • 2. The subject of love
  • The ministry of the Holy Spirit:
    • ‭‭13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John‬ ‭16:13-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  • The inward witness:
    • 27 The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:27‬ ‭AMP‬‬C
    • 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • ‭‭16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans‬ ‭8:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • 1 ‭‭I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit… Romans‬ ‭9:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • 1 I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying; my conscience [enlightened and prompted] by the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me… ‭‭Romans‬ ‭9:1‬ ‭AMP‬‬C
      • Conscience: the voice of your spirit
        • Strong’s: co-perception
        • Thayer’s: literally, ‘joint-knowledge’
        • Vine’s: literally, “a knowing with, a co-knowledge( within oneself).
  • 11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭19:11-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‭‭
  • 15 And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. Colossians‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭AMPC‬‬
  • 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 NKJV
    • Umpire: safe or out
  • As you mature in your relationship and learn to hear from Jesus, your understanding is increased and His communication gets more detailed.
    • The seared conscience: ‭‭
      • 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, I Timothy‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • A hardened heart:
      • ‭‭12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews‬ ‭3:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • Tender hearted:
      • 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. I John‬ ‭3:20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  • Our personal walk with the Holy Spirit is the doorway to our gifting being manifested in the life of others.