Certainty Through Experience, Part 2

Today on your talk about experiencing God.

God did not save save you as a person to walk with him in the verification that this is real. You have actually experienced well how to do this great question like with as always, I'm your host Molly made a batch into the deepest held beliefs in your life are probably not things that have been proven to you through philosophical reasoning or reading lots of facts usually are strongest beliefs are result of personally experiencing things we believe because we've seen, heard or felt it, but that begs the question, can't see God. So is it even possible to know him beyond just an intellectual knowledge can we ever really experience him enough to truly believe Pastor JDR he's in today on Summit life will explain how get ready to taste and see God's goodness. Pastor JD titled this message certainty through experience. Being that we are going to change the it is how you can be certain about your experience with God through an experience of fellowship with him out for you.

What I mean by that Bible for charge up one looks look at verse one, verse John 11.which was from the beginning. John says that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon in touch with her hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest that we have seen and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the father and was made manifest to us now. There for a minute and think about what John is actually trying to say you John to say that the reason that he was so sure about what he was teaching is that he and the other apostles actually saw Jesus they observed his miracles. They felt his resurrected body.

John is saying this is not a theory.the proof of Christianity to them was not and how wise Jesus is teaching seem to them. The approved of them was the fact that Jesus had miracles and resurrection to back it up. Now some of you are listening to this job well, okay, good for John grab you kudos and you got to see Jesus a gotcha what good does that do for me to see and touch Jesus. That's a great question.

I'm so glad you asked. Verse three that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you so that you too may have fellowship with us. What John is saying is we wrote these things that you would be in the same boat with us so that you would have the same kind of experiences with Jesus that we had experiential knowledge of God, but you say wow dogs are Jesus's miracles did great question answers in verse two Jesus that John touch watch this and the miracles that John observed were a manifestation of the life of God. A life that you can share it to the miracles that Jesus did were never an end to themselves. The miracles were always a pointer there called signs that pointed beyond himself to some higher reality. That's what assign does right at points outside of itself, something else is an example. John chapter 6 John records Jesus feeding the 5005 loaves and two fish. But Jesus explains that one of that miracle is not that he could do magic with loaves of bread. The point is that he is the bread of life and all those who are spiritually starving to come in peace upon him, and they will find the deepest part of their soul satisfied the question have you ever experienced that these experiences that you have validate what the Bible teaches because they give you a felt sense of the things that you're reading the Bible is the word of life is made manifest to you Christianity is an experience felt religion in which you interact with an actual God. There is a sense of the Holy Spirit gives you that anointing, that just gives you ears to hear what God has been saying so that you hear the voice of God as you read the Bible and you say that's him to take a note to write this down one of the signs that you really know God is you have fellowship going to kneel with him to the spirit, God begins to come alive to you, God begins to speak to you. It's not just doctrines that you're learning. It's not just listen a lifestyle that your practice he is God that your fellow shipping with you taking a drug is outgoing in the cornea is the manifestation of the word of the gospel in your heart: Amia is the manifestation manifestation meet magnification were talking about the spirit taking the word of life and magnified it so it comes alive in your heart you were talking about a genuine experience with God. Fellowship corn Amia is the magnification of the word of the gospel in your heart you begin to feel the word of life. The cross becomes larger. Your sin gets more bitter and more real. God's grace gets sweeter. The old words of life press in on your heart, and they become mutually when suddenly listen the doctrines of the gospel suddenly come alive in your heart and you realize that it's not a statement about what Jesus did in the past. It's a statement about what he did for you and becomes personal. That ever happened to you.

John Wesley was you know when the guys behind the great awakening who was one of our country's greatest evangelist ever talked about when he was converted. A friend of invited him to church for an evening service that started at 9 o'clock in the evening. The preacher that evening. I just had not prepared his sermon so the preacher was just reading the introduction to Luther's commentary on the book of Romans not talk about a recipe for a nap church at 9 o'clock, where Pastor is reading the introduction from a 300-year-old book that's that's not but John Wesley says he says about me just quoted Wesley says at about 9:15 as the pastor read Luther describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ. I felt my heart suddenly and strangely warmed. I saw in that moment that Christ had taken away my sins, even mine and that he had saved me from the law of sin and death. It wouldn't even learn something new, just came alive in him. By the way your parents.

This is what I'm looking for my kids and what I cannot produce and my children. I can teach them the doctrines of the gospel which I do, but I pray that the Holy Spirit will at different points in their life suddenly magnified and so they come alive in the given eyes to see, which is why I pray for them every day and teach them every night. I can do the teaching of the Holy Spirit is to give the illumination it happens. First, the conversion, but what's this, it continues to happen again and again for the rest of your life. That's what corn Amia is God's Spirit magnified over and over it. There are times when God's love just presses in on Ephesians 3 Tina Lavelle, some of my favorites but they're all my favorite Ephesians 318 Paul prays for the Ephesians that they would grasp the height and the width of the death of the breath of the love of God for them. I love that were grasping Greek cut alum Bono cut alum Bono is a military term that means to cease to overtake. So what he is praying is that the love of God would attack these people know about the love of God like they were learning what mother what God loves us right down renewing. He explained that it would seize their hearts and overtake it like a fortress so that every single part of their life will be saturated with the love of God, the love of God will be heavy to them.

Please pray for them. That's what fellowship is. Are you having these experiences because, listen, if you're not, you have very serious reason to question whether or not you actually know God because God did not save you the stuff you for the much a doctrine save you because he needed robots to execute the principles of Christianity perfectly. You're not a computer database you're not a robot he created you to love you and walk with you the whole point is fellowship eligible for the Christianity that if you are not fellow shipping with him. If these are not experiences with the love of God is coming real to you, and you're probably not actually a Christian, Dr. you know how much lifestyle you force yourself in the following one last passage your little Medtronic is really what brought it for you. Five for some five or 14 watches. This is the confidence, John says we have toward him that if we ask anything according to his will. Years if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request. We asked of him.

Usually center I you know that you know God you see answers to prayer in your life because you get close to God to know what God wants in different situations and you asked me to give you what you asked can you see the answers to prayer in your own life. Can you point me to a series of answered prayers as a confirmation that God is real and at work in your life because again I don't know what it is for you, but from many people I know Christianity is just a set of doctors relearn us a lifestyle to be adopted. But it's not a real God. They interact with. You actually answered prayer is involved in their lives and in the circle of ministry to God's given them. By the way, we all had the experience of unanswered prayer.

I'm not trying to take obsessive afraid is a good answer that major not say because I got a whole slew of unanswered prayers.

But when God does in at least doesn't answer the prayer the way that I think it should be answered a lot of time for the Holy Spirit will do this happen to me just the other day I was really disappointed with God because of some he didn't do that. I thought that he should do in the Holy Spirit, Preston on my heart some 23 one. I am your Shepherd. And I know better than you, so sometimes I overrule your requests because you receive when you don't know what to ask for and so instead of giving you what you asked for.

I give you what you would've asked for if he knew what I knew because I'm your Shepherd. And that's the experience that I'm having with the Holy Spirit is not always a direct answer prayers just communion because I have a confidence in him because it's a real God that I'm actually interacting with and I'm just telling you if that's not your experience in Christianity. It might not be God did not say is a computer database did not say you as an automaton, he saved you as a person walk with him in the verification of this is real. You have actual experience with the return turn teaching in just a moment, but I wanted take a moment to tell you about our resource. This might help me take this gospel study further the gospel is the welcoming message of the power of God, not just once but only every single day. Take the time to personalize these teachings your hearing here on the program with an eight – and video-based Bible study featuring further teaching from Pastor Janie. This study is meant to be done in community, which is why it comes with five study guides to share with friends or family commit to growing gospel power right now.

When you support this resource comes with your generous gift to the ministry. Give us a call 86652 training or check out@clear.com. Now let's get back to the conclusion of today's teaching. I don't know what well how to do this we have these experiences surround a way to get us out from heaven is at what I do. Great question because it totally on your game today with another great question. So let me give you three things that you need to do three things he hears your action steps right number one number one. Put yourself in the presence of his word.

Put yourself in the presence of his word chart shows you the right way for this, like I got Steve Brady was my always in their life right one is gone the woods and I thank God that you find on the woods you would enjoy God's creation, but if you would take your Bible with you because that's where God is to come out of God speaks through his word said if you're standing beside a cage with a roaring lion in it and the person you're talking to does not believe the line is real. You can do one of two things you can stand there and defend the lion or you could open the cage and let the line defend himself.

The word of God is like a lion, you can defend it. That's great what you doing that but at some point is let the line out of the cage. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You want somebody to have this manifestation of God spirit put them in the presence of God's word. If you're if you're a believer you want more. The manifestations of God's presence in your life you you can do for yourself in the presence of the word all the time you several ways to do that in addition to this being a regular part of a place like this for your the were taught the right is that is ABC a dual quiet time every day. Your quiet time is this the worst main thing we've ever come up with in Christianity by the way a quiet time. I really like it since I got put your recorder is mad at you until you shut up that's not a quiet time, quiet time is a daily time that you set aside just to meet with God through his word I do every single day.

The first person I told you every day is God because I go in my office and I open my Bible and I just meet with and hear from God. You say why you do a quiet time to start his latte 30 minutes. That's 1/40 of your day. 30 minutes divided into three sections again first 10 minutes. Just read the Bible second 10 minutes praying talk to God about what's going on in your life and by the way, make a list of what you want to talk to God and pray to that little dislike all God you will do what I do if I do start praying about a list until you start praying and 35 minutes later and think about the spaghetti we had the night before, Mike is one of over the place you get you a list and pray and ask God to do certain last 10 minutes read a devotional or some kind of Christian book 30 minutes you that every day and I promise you will change your life started today right on second answered your quiet time to memorize Scripture. I'm 39 years old I been in ministry for 11 years.

I still weekly. Memorize Scripture you want to know why because I want Scripture flowing in my veins, so that when life cuts me. I just bleed out God's word. You gotta start memorizing Scripture C. Pray the Scriptures back to God, praying about to God. That's what makes your prayers really take on the life of heaven is when you're actually praying Scripture back got figures. I do this after I read the Bible 10 minutes on the first thing that I do to start our prayer time it is. I've circled things in the Bible that I've been reading Freighters things back to God. As I prayed to my list of people that II love which would you I verses written out beside it that I'm praying for the people that I love because I'm praying God's words back to him if you listen to me. Pray what I want you to hear is I want you to hear me, praying the words of God back to him because that's how I know the will of God for somebody's life is on fellow shipping with God through his word. He is giving me the things that God taught me to ask, to pray the Scriptures back to him D get in a small group get a small group, you see I am only one voice of the church but God didn't create us as like a microphone or an audience. He created church is a body and when the but when God was to do work in your life. He does it through the means of the body which your disconnect of the body are disconnected from the power of God. The analogy I usually use all the time but it is important church is a body part of my body has a need.

The way that my brain takes care of that media is by means of another body part of the body that another body, but one of our my body. For example, I hear that one always use if not you button the knee, left leg is itching that the lease is up little messes of the brain is IH. So what is the brain to the brace and I like magical brains use your microwave power. The unit is albeit not the brains of the message to brother fingers on his right hand on my right hand is like a brother knee problem. What you can take your every use and any stretch of the edge of these happen and Thereby zapping that that's how the body works, how does the body of Christ work. How does God work in your life and your family. If he does by means of other members of his body which each of your disconnected from other members of his body disconnected from the power of God will complain to me when God is at work in your life when you separate yourself in the very thing that God has work in your life. 98.4% of what God wants to do in your life.

He does so by members of his body.

You gotta get connected. That's how God works you every last one under the section become an expert at applying Scriptures to broken parts of your life. That's what we offer counseling seminars here. The counseling seminars are about the parts of you and about your friends that are most broken. We want to teach you to be an expert at applying Scripture to those broken parts to become an expert at that. Take advantage of his counseling seminars when the need for yourself in the presence of the word of God to rule quick location of the law. Number two. Here's your second thing, pray for, pray for it. That's what you see Paul doing right with the Ephesians is teaching new stuff. He's the same God opened their eyes to the old things help them to feel the way of your love. Let it press in on them. Some of your like this. Listen, if right now you would say listen, this is exactly as we would say if I know you would say I know that Jesus loves me but I know that Jesus loves me, but I just can't forgive what this person has done against me. You just said with what you said is Jesus's love is lightweight to me and that person's offense against me is heavyweight and what needs to happen is not that you learn something new about Jesus what needs to happen is that Jesus presents take on a greater weightiness in your heart so that it would outweigh the offense against you to make sense if you are not married and you are devastated and depressed by not being married. There's nothing wrong with desiring to be married or the problem is is that marriage is heavyweight and Jesus is lightweight and what you need to pray is that God would let your eyes be open to grasp the weightiness of God's love what you desire to be married if you're overwhelmed with the glory of what you have in Jesus.

If you right now in the midst of some personal tragedy and it is devastating to you this because the tragedy is heavyweight in Jesus's love is lightweight.

Paul, who was no stranger to pain. What he said about all this pain never about to wipe all his pain was not like in a JV friends forsaken him he was jobless and homeless import and even tortured and persecuted and put in prison. His reputation had been destroyed. It was all of it says out the light and momentary affliction. That's not because when painful.

His pain when compared probably many of you in here who are in the midst of great pain is as light and momentary is not about cold when he says that he's talking about deep pain he says is like momentary because of the weightiness of Jesus love in my life. You need Jesus love become so weighty that everything else in your life, the joys and the successes the disappointments of the failure they need to become lightweight even the deepest personal tragedies in the deepest disappointments become light and momentary because you have grasp the height and the width and depth and breath of the love of God for you become so weighty to pray for this is not new thinking to learn it's your heart being open to the beauty and the depth of the old things.

Lastly, his blessing people baby when you don't feel it is people baby don't feel it. Listen, that's my experience that I have times where I go for long stretches and I'm feeling much anything, but in their times of intimacy. The greatest intimacy comes from a long obedience in the same direction.

The greatest intimacy comes from all the meat is the same direction of an article this week about God. He was talking about the beauty be married for 50 or 60 years.

They said there long stretches in your marriage or the relationship become sterile. Thomas becomes cold he said with the good moments of intimacy and a couple is learn to trust each other for 60 years or so much greater. So much sweeter different temporary fling or an affair is a long obedience to God the same direction.

That is the path to which he released intimacy in your life so you don't feel and just keep obeying people yourself in the presence of the work and keep praying and yearning for fellowship and in the happening to you. You want to happen to you as possible, pastor and theologian clear if you joined us late today or if you missed any part of this message you can hear it again online JD Greer.com. We are in a teaching series here on the program called assured discovering the evidence of true saving faith in the true faith is demonstrated daily. So Janie around here. We talk a lot about something called the gospel prayer. What exactly is that why are we sharing it with people was not a magical prayer and it's not supposed to replace the Lord's prayer is a way they also grow out of my own quiet time or ways that I could center myself on the gospel every single day. As I came up before the phrases that I pray for whilst on my own.

The first phrase is that in Christ there is nothing I can do that. That would make you God love me anymore. Not that I have done that will make you love me any less phrase to is that you are all I need for everlasting joy.

Phrase three.

As you have been to me so I will be to others and then phrase four is as I pray I'll measure your compassion by the cross and the power in your power by the resurrection.

Those are four statements that will center you on the gospel and I'm not overpromising.

Here they will transform your life, would love for you to join our team. We are sending a copy to all of our gospel partners a small way of saying thank you for their ongoing support.

So take a look@jdgreer.com that's really helpful. Thank you JD if you'd like a new tool to help the truth of the gospel think and let me encourage you to copy. I'm not sure about my JD titled gospel prayer catechism will be happy to send it to you today when you donate to some this ministry. When you become a monthly gospel partner to join his mission today and I calling 33 5220 866-335-5220. Forgive online JD Greer.com about the more Bible study mentioned earlier in the program. Molly Neves sure to join us tomorrow when pastor Katie Green topic like sin and salvation next Tuesday on prayer ministry