Sermon: "Meeting With God"
What comes to your mind when you hear the word … “ALIEN”?
I asked this question to some of the people around the office and received the following answers:
The movie called – Alien.
I never heard of or saw this movie, but I did a little research and discovered there were four “Alien” movies. They were made in 1979, 1986, 1992 and 1997.
Someone else said – Someone living in our country who is from another country. That answer didn’t surprise me since we hear quite a bit on the news about “illegal aliens.”
And still someone else said – Creatures from outer space. That was close to what popped into my head – my first thought was – E.T.
E.T. was a movie released in June of 1982 about a loveable, but ugly little alien, stranded on planet earth who is helped by a group of children.
I wish that the movie E.T. would not have been the first thing that popped into my mind when I thought of “alien.” I wish I would have though about you or about myself or about Christians in general. For if you are a true believer in Jesus, the Bible calls you an “alien.”
I PETER 2:11 – Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
When you receive Jesus as your Lord you begin to live in two worlds … the one here on earth and your eternal home in heaven. In fact, Jesus said that even though we are still living on planet earth we are no longer “of this world.”
JOHN 17:14-16 – 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
That makes us “aliens.” We live here physically, but we are to fix our eyes on the real but invisible life we have with Jesus. The Bible says …
HEBREWS 12:2a – Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
That brings up a good question! How do we as aliens keep our eyes fixed on Jesus? How do we keep our attention on the spiritual realm – the unseen things above – when the world we can see has so many appealing and attractive things to offer? How do we as strangers and aliens abstain from sinful desires and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus?
Most of us know the answer. It isn’t any great secret … we need to spend time with God and his word.
There are many ways we can meet with God. Here are some of them.
- Personal devotions and/or prayer
- Bible reading and/or studying
- Group prayer
- Sunday School
- Small group meetings
- Common Bond meetings (our ladies ministry)
- Public worship
- A long private walk
The list can go on and on. We have many opportunities to meet with God. The problem that most of us have is not taking advantage of these opportunities. That happens because we don’t make “meeting with God” a priority in our lives. We don’t pencil God in on our schedules or appointment calendars and the world we live in, but are not really a part of according to Jesus, keeps filling up our schedules with things that seem to be important or fun.
Sometimes we feel guilty – that may well be the Holy Spirit convicting us, but we keep falling back into our old patterns.
To help us overcome this tendency this morning we are going to focus on … “THE BENEFITS OF MEETING WITH GOD.”
The world we live in is always promoting its benefits …
- Work more and get a better car or house.
- Go camping and enjoy the great outdoors and the fellowship of other campers.
- Go golfing or hunting and get away from the stress of life.
- Join a children’s sports team early in life so you can make the high school team some day.
- Use your credit card so you can enjoy life immediately.
- Get a new flat screen TV so you can have a sharper picture.
- Pay a little extra and get high speed Internet.
- Get a cell phone for everyone in the family so you can stay connected.
Yes, the world promotes its benefits and it has an impact on us. So this morning, for a few moments, we are going to promote the benefits of meeting with God.
You will find it easier to set aside time to meet with God as you focus on the benefits it provides.
THE BENEFITS OF MEETING WITH GOD
1. YOUR MIND WILL BE RENEWED
As followers of Jesus we are called to live by faith. That means we must believe and act with confidence on unseen realities. The Bible says …
HEBREWS 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
It is hard to stay focused on things we do not see when the visible, tangible world is pulling on us. We don’t want it to happen but the compass of our souls gets pulled away from Jesus and his kingdom. That’s one of the reasons the Bible gives us the following warning.
ROMANS 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Than you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We are to be careful that we do not get squeezed into the world’s mold. One of the benefits of meeting with God is that it helps to renew your mind. It helps you to focus on the unseen kingdom which is our true home.
The second benefit of meeting with God is that …
2. YOU ARE REMINDED OF WHO YOU ARE – A CHILD OF GOD
Being a part of two worlds can cause us to have an identify crisis. If we define who we are with what we receive from this world we will be receiving some false information. Don’t look to others to assign value to you – they can’t do it accurately. Only the God who created you and redeemed you can tell you …
Who you are,
Why you are here,
and
Where you are going.
God designed you in your mother’s womb and he gave you a second birth when you trusted in Jesus by giving you a new spirit. Just as physical birth is only a beginning, so spiritual birth is a beginning from which you need to grow, learn and develop.
Our problem is that as we live here on earth it is easy to forget that God has chosen us, changed us and made us a citizen of his kingdom. Here is what the Apostle Paul wrote about us.
EPHESIANS 1:3-5 – 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21 – 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Taking the time to meet with God reminds you that you are, indeed, his child. Another benefit of meeting with God is that …
3. YOU WILL BE REMINDED OF GOD’S LOVE AND CARE FOR YOU
Listen to what his word says about this …
EPHESIANS 2:4-6 – 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
HEBREWS 13:5 – Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
And of course there are those wonderful words recorded in the book of Zephaniah.
ZEPHANIAH 3:17 – The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.
When you are feeling beat down and discouraged; when you feel like giving up; when you feel no one cares – go meet with God and his love for you will warm your heart.
Meeting with God also has other benefits. One of those benefits is that …
4. YOU WILL BE CHANGED
Are you aware that God intends for you to become like Jesus? The Bible says …
ROMANS 8:29 – For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
It is imperative that those who choose to follow Jesus be changed. Becoming a Christian means you will change. In fact, a changed life is proof that you really are a Christian.
This change doesn’t happen all at once and there will be times of failure, but real change is a natural part of being a true Christian.
Change takes place in our lives as we focus our attention on Jesus and that happens when we meet with him and read his word.
Another benefit of meeting with God deals with your pain.
5. YOU WILL BE HEALED
You no doubt have heard the phrase “the walking wounded.” That is a good description of most, if not all, Christians.
Each of us experience a lot of pain in life … harsh words, divorce, betrayal, the death of a loved one, being left out and many other things inflict deep wounds on our souls.
When we meet with God we are able to gain an eternal perspective on the thing that is causing us so much pain. We are able to receive both comfort and strength from him.
Our scripture text for this morning speaks to this issue.
PSALM 91:1-2 – 1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
There are many wonderful promises in this psalm, but they are promises to those who dwell in God’s presence. That means they live in close fellowship with him.
When you meet with God your faith is strengthened and that enables you to trust him in the midst of your pain. That trust is the source of the healing you need and desire.
When you meet with God something else wonderful happens.
6. YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE (YOUR SOUL) WILL BE FED
Many Christians confess that sometimes they have doubts concerning their salvation, they question if God hears their prayers or if there is even a God. Sometimes they have thoughts like, “Is Christianity just a game we are playing”? Still other Christians confess that God does not seem real to them. Their spiritual lives are dry and parched.
These conditions usually are a result of ongoing sin or not meeting with God.
When you meet with God your soul is fed. Listen to God’s words to you spoken through the prophet Isaiah.
ISAIAH 55:1-3a – 1“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
Spending time with God and his word enables you to experience joy and peace in the deepest parts of your soul.
Your spiritual life will grow and blossom as you continually meet with God.
CONCLUSION
Spending time with God helps us who are spiritual aliens keep our eyes sharply focused on Jesus and his kingdom. Here are just some of the benefits that you reap from meeting with God.
- Your mind will be renewed.
- You will be reminded that you are a child of God.
- You will be reminded of God’s love and care for you.
- You will be changed – become more like Jesus.
- You will be healed.
- Your spiritual life will be fed.
They are things we all need as Christians. But they only come to us as we meet with God and that is something that requires self-discipline. Satan and our old sin nature fights against our faith. You see the benefits of meeting with God but they won’t be yours unless you develop a plan for how you are going to meet with God on a regular basis.
Here are some things you can try. Find the ones that work for you. They all require a desire and self-discipline.
- Read through your Bible – call the church office for a Bible Reading Schedule.
- Use the Daily Bread, Tapestry or a devotional book to guide your daily reading.
- If you have a long drive to work, turn off your radio for 15 to 30 minutes and talk to God.
- Find a prayer partner or join a prayer group.
- If you walk for exercise and are alone, use this time to talk with God.
- Sign up for one of our At-Home Bible Studies. Even though we have already started this semester, if you call the church office I’m sure they will work with you.
Do you see that meeting with God involves talking to him, listening to him and studying his word. These things won’t just happen. You must make them happen.
The benefits of meeting with God are great. Those benefits can be yours if you are willing to take the time and make the effort to meet with God. He is waiting for you.