Cultivating Intimacy with God
Introduction
A. “Discipline without Direction is drudgery” (Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life)
1. Story of Kevin
B. Challenge is “discipline” is essential part of the Christian life
1. 1 Timothy 4:7b Train (discipline) yourself to be godly (i.e. Christ like).For physical training is of some value, but godliness (i.e. Christ-likeness) has value for all things,holding promise for both the present lifeand the life to come.-- Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! (The Message)
2. “When it comes to discipline in the Christian life, many believers feel as Kevin did toward guitar practice - it’s discipline without direction.”
C. This idea of discipline I want us to consider this morning.
Background
A. Series “Becoming People of the Cross” based on Matthew 16.
1. People of the cross choose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, their crucified savior; “dying to self”, relinquishing control of one’s life, and following Jesus fully and whole-heartedly as Lord.
2. People of the cross walk with others in growing Dependence upon Devotion to and Delight in Jesus Christ resulting in greater conformity to His Character and commitment to His Cause
B. Seven Life-Signs
1. Last Week: People of the cross affirm the authority of the Bible as God’s Inspired Word; faithfully studying and humbly living out its life transforming truth. (Mind, Heart and Will)
Cultivating Intimacy with God
2. People of the cross live in and thus are nourished and transformed by daily communion with God through prayer, worship and other spiritual disciplines.
People of the cross live in and thus are nourishedand transformed by daily communion with God
A. John 15:5 Jesus uses the metaphor of a vine and branch (grapes) to describe relationship he offers.
1. 15:1-10 Remain (abide; stay attached) to me 11x
A. Intimate “organic connection” from which we received nourishment and life.
b. Contrasted to being cut away, pruned
2. 15:1-10 key result of remaining is “fruit bearing”
a. “bear fruit” (7x) (obey commands)Life qualities from the vine --- Transformation to Christ-likeness
b. Galatians 5:22; Colossians 1:10
B. 15:11- As we “remain in his love” and “obey his commands” result is joy.
How can we be “maintain the remaining?”
People of the cross live in and thus are nourished and transformed by daily communion with God through prayer, worship and other spiritual disciplines.
A. Spiritual Disciplines?
Cultivating Intimacy with God
1. They are tools (holy actions), carried out with intentionality and some regularityby which Christians seek to know God, yield to the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying power, and surrender to the Divine Will in their lives. The disciplines can be instrumental tools as we seek to “tune” ourselves to God’s desires and see his kingdom as he sees it.(Nathan hale)
2. List of disciplines varies
Prayer, Meditation, Bible Study, Journaling, Silence/Solitude, Worship, Serving, Confessions, Fasting.(Ortberg - slow grocery line?!)
B. Tools - means to an end which is greater Christ-likeness
1. Hammer nails all day, but not building something useless
2. Pharisees fasted, Tithed, prayed, gave, yet “ Matt 23:25-27
C. List you see Bible Study which is what we covered
1.John 15:7
2. Separate it because if its importance.
Prayer is:Ongoing conversation with God whereby we seek to know Him more deeply, walk with Him more closely and serve Him more faithfully.
A. Ongoing. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
B. Conversation with God -- 2 way conversation (Silent listening different)
1. Bring honestly all that we are
Sins and failings
Doubts and fears
Desires and Aspirations
Concerns for people and issues both here and around the world
Cultivating Intimacy with God
2. Before all that God is
His character and will as revealed in Scripture
C. Whereby…..
1. Why don’t we pray?
•Prayerlessness is often due to the fact we have too little faith in God and too much faith in ourselves.
•Prayer is our “wartime walkie talkie”. If we’re not engaged in the battle, a vibrant prayer life will remain elusive.
D. Might need to recalibrate our thinking and practice on prayer
1. Often in prayer we come to God with what matters most to us. One goal in prayer should be to get a clearer understanding of what matters most to God.
2. We pray so God can know our needs. He invites us to pray so we can know Him.
3. We often pray for God to change the circumstances for our comfort and convenience; God ultimately wants to change us so Christ is formed in us
Romans 8:28-29; Galatians 4:19.
4. We pray with the attitude, “My will be done.” Prayer should ultimately be “Thy will be done.”
5. We pray that God will “have our back.” God wants our heart, and that we in turn will have His.
Cultivating Intimacy with God
Worship
A. Definition JohnPiper: “True worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things.”
- . Ascribe to theLordthe glory due his name;worshiptheLordin the splendor of his holiness. (Psalm 29:2)
- WorshiptheLordin the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9)
B. Romans 12:1-2 Everything we do in obedience to God is an act of worship.
1. Want to focus on what we do here together on Sunday M
C. How was worship?
1. Usually what happened up here - Worship team, special music, sermon
2. Asked God how did worship go, He’d be looking at each one of us.
a. Up here are the performers, you audience. In a real sense, we are all the performers and God is the audience
3. Hearts and minds open to here and affirm the music and the message? Allow what is communicated about God and about us take root?
D. Two questions
1. Did I come in the right heart attitude so as to worship “in spirit and truth?”
a. Psalm 51:17
2. Through my worship did I “create a space” where others could worship, especially those with deep hurts and doubts?
a. Colossians 3:16
Cultivating Intimacy with God
Communion a place where we can meet Christ and place to grow.
People of the cross walk with others in growing Dependence upon Devotion to and Delight in Jesus Christ resulting in greater conformity to His Character and commitment to His Cause
With others -- Communion taken in community we’re together
Dependence: Not what we can do, but what Christ has done
Devotion: After all he did for me, nothing I wouldn’t do for him
Delight: Celebration of his love and Grace
Conform to Character - People of the cross
Commitment to Cause - Proclaimers of the cross to lost and broken world
Questions for May 7th Sermon
1. Describe something you were committed to that required discipline? What were the challenges and/or joys you experienced? Can you identify with phrase, “Discipline without Direction is Drudgery?”
2. Read John 15:1-11. What kind of life is Jesus speaking about when he uses the metaphor of the vine and the branch? What will be the results from this “remaining” (or “abiding”).----Fruit (you can invite people to elaborate) and Joy
3. In your own words, what is a spiritual discipline? Examples?In what way is the analogy that Paul uses in 1 Timothy 4:7 with physical training connected to spiritual discipline?
4. How do you respond to the concept of a spiritual discipline? Going back to that initial phrase, what direction will help the believer avoid drudgery in a spiritual discipline? In other words, what goal can energize our spiritual disciplines?
5. Our focus is on the spiritual disciplines of prayer and worship. Can you share about other disciplines you’ve engaged in and your experiences?
Prayer
1. Author Stanley Grenzwrote, “The greatest challenge facing the church of Jesus Christ….is motivating the people of God to pray, and to do so sincerely, honestly, and fervently.”
- Why is prayer (a relatively simple task) such a struggle for most Christians? For you? In the sermon, Pastor Steve listed 2 reasons - Note:you can name them or ask them to remember [gulp! - Do either of those resonate with you? Are there others?
2. What needs to change in terms of our mindset about our lives, God, and prayer in order for the “recalibration” to occur. Note: You’ll need to read them off.
3. What have you done/do you do that has helped you improve your prayer life that could be helpful to others in your group?
Worship
1. Respond to this idea that when asked “How was worship?” we should not just look at those on the platform but also ourselves.
2. In what way(s) do we come to God with a sacrifice of a “broken and contrite heart?” How might this speak to someone who might skip Sunday worship because they don’t “feel like it”?
3. Share with the others if there has been a time when God has encouraged and instructed you through the worship of others.
4. What is your biggest challenge in worship? What do you do to help you in worship that might be beneficial to others in the grop?