Desiring for Spiritual Intimacy
- Rev. Jerry Lepasana
- Oct 16, 2005
- Series: Spiritual Intimacy
DESIRING FOR SPIRITUAL INTIMACY
Psalm 73:25-26; Psalm 42:1-2
- Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
- My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
- My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Later today, we as a church are doing our Ministry Fair. We would like everyone to have the opportunity to be familiar with all our ministries, and then decide where you can plug in. Knowing what we are having, you probably came expecting a message about getting involved in the ministry. Well, our message is not really out of sync. Here's where I am coming from in terms of our series - Spiritual Intimacy.
You see, I personally believe that it is impossible for anyone to truly delight in doing something for the Lord, if he or she is not delighting in the Lord. It is very clear in the Scriptures that fruitfulness as a believer comes from a vibrant relationship with the Lord.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Your signing later today will never be a guarantee you will serve faithfully, or even being elected to a position is not an assurance. I firmly believe we need to put spiritual intimacy in place, and out of it comes spiritual service.
Here's our definition of Spiritual Intimacy:
Spiritual Intimacy is when a believer has gained an access into the heart of God and God has been allowed access into his or her soul.
In Psalm 73:25-26 and Psalm 42:1-2, both Psalmists declared a very special bond between them and the Lord that we desperately need in our time. This is a relationship so deep that the Psalmists desire for God more than anything else or a desire that meant survival. How many of us are really deep in our relationship with God? Deep enough to say the same words of the psalmists from our souls. I hope this is what we all will desire to have. Let's begin our study:
I THE DIVINE INITIATION:
Augustine, a great theologian once wrote, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in every man that only Christ can fill."
This statement is right on target. God from the very beginning has design us to have a relationship with Him. This is the reason we have received His likeness.
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
This likeness does not mean physical; rather this included receiving the elements of personality where we are able to relate to Him in a deeper level. Here are the elements of personality.
- Intellectually - we have the capacity to know another person.
- Emotionally - we are able to show affection and respond to affections.
- Volitionally - we have the capacity to choose whom we want to relate to. All of these were built in us by God so we can enjoy Him to the full.
However, we need to identify the most common hindrances in pursuing intimate relationship with God:
A. Sin - The sweet relationship of Adam and Eve was destroyed by sin (Gen.3). If we desire intimacy, we need to be decisively deal with sin in our lives.
B. Busyness - We often have become so busy because of work, family responsibilities, and recreational activities. Time is absolutely necessary to deepen our relationship with God.
C. Ambitions - Some have ambitions, which do not include God in the picture. There will be great disappointments ahead if we pursue others before God.
D. Impatience - We are often used to getting what we want whenever we want it. Intimacy takes time to build and must be done slowly.
II THE DIVINE IMAGES
Sometimes the idea of intimacy with God for us as mere humans is not an easy concept. So God in His Bible has provided some images to help us:
A. The Friendship Relationship - God knows how we always have placed a special value on friendship because of the many benefits we get out of it. Out of this come these passages:
23) And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
James refers to Abraham as the friend of God, while John made a reference to Jesus calling His disciples as friends. Think about the benefits of having God as our close friend.
B. The Parent- Child Relationship - The Bible refers to God as our heavenly Father. As His redeemed children, it is our unique privilege to experience the dept of His love and call Him the most intimate address - Abba, the Aramaic equivalent for "Daddy."
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
C. The Marriage Relationship - With our familiarity of the marriage relationship of a man and a woman, God introduced Himself as the husband of Israel and the church.
For your Maker is your husband--the Lord Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
- "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
- This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.
With everlasting love and covenant faithfulness, the Lord intimately bestows His grace upon those who are His faith in Christ.
Now, to have a balance in our minds, we should never forget that there is a tension, which exist between responding in awe to the King of kings and coming in love to a heavenly friend, father, and husband. Too much emphasis on kingship robs us of intimacy while excess attention to our friendship and family privilege leads us to presumption. We must do our best to maintain the sense of awe in the midst of our pursuit for intimacy.
III THE DIVINE INCENTIVES:
Throughout the Bible, men like Abraham, Joseph, David, Daniel, Peter, and Paul, have received some special blessings in pursuing God. Blessings such:
- Answered Prayers
- Great Victories
- Guidance and Protection
- Inner Peace
We could go on and on with God's blessings. But going back to the two primary passages we have chosen, there are three more things we can highlight:
A. Stability - "Strength of my heart"- Literally the psalmist said, "The rock of my heart." So many times, life pressures can be overwhelming. God will always be there for us.
B. Satisfaction - "My portion forever" - during the Old Testament time, the word portion has reference to the inheritance of the tribes when the Promised Land was divided. The psalmist then declares that God is his inheritance that will last forever.
C. Sustenance - Just like the deer needs water to sustain its life, the psalmist saw God as the source of His sustenance for this life.
Let me close using the prodigal son as an illustration. He took for granted all the blessings, which came out of an intimate relationship with his father, and decided to rebel and move away. This move only brought heartaches and disappointments. He should be a warning for us. God wants us close to Him so we can enjoy everything he possesses. Let's pursue Him more seriously!