Certainty Through Experience, Part 2

Janie Greer talks about experiencing God did not save as an automaton, he saved you as a person to walk with him and verification that this is real. You have actually experienced with some of your say that your 12. This is surrounded with the gifts out from heaven is at what I do, right? I'm only you know the deep belief in your life are probably not things that have been proven to you through philosophical reasoning or reading lots of facts, usually our deepest beliefs are based on the things we've experienced in our own lives.

We believe them because we seen and heard and we found them but 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 JD argues yes and today on Summit life Lane how to get Ray to taste and see God's goodness. After Janie titled this message certainty through experience.

God is all about how to know that the gospel that you believe is true and how you can know that your experience with God is genuine. John is about five points he makes an answer to the question how you can know for certain that you know God will defame that we are going to the chase this morning. Is this what it is how you can be certain about your experience with God through an experience of fellowship with him out when you what I mean by that got a Bible verse John chapter 1.

Let's look at verse one, verse John 11. That 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 our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest as 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 here John is saying 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 printer them was the fact that Jesus had miracles and resurrection to back it up. Now some of you are listening to this shot. Well, okay, good for John grab you kudos to him. He got to see Jesus and touch up. 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 will how we can do observed 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 in 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 assigned us 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 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 for taking notes.

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 you're practicing.

It 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 coin 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 muscle were talking about a genuine experience with God. Fellowship coin 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 is ever happened to you, John Wesley, who 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 were pastors reading the introduction from a 300-year-old book that's that's not but John Wesley says he says if I misquoted 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 would save me from the law of sin and death. It when he 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 if they come alive in the give them 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 has to give the illumination. It happens first at conversion. But what's this, it continues to happen again and again for the rest of your life. That's what coin Amia is God's Spirit magnified over and over.

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 what he is praying is that the love of God would attack these people that we know about the love of God like they were learning what mother what God loves us right down knowing he's praying 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 doctorate 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 fellowship is all part of Christianity that if you are not fellow shipping with him. If these are not experiences with the love of God is becoming real to you, and you're probably not actually a Christian. No matter how much doctrine 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 he hears us. 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 do 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 obsess on the bread 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 pressed 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 genuine. God did not save you as a computer database and he did not save you as an automaton, he saved you as a person to walk with him and the verification that this is real. You have actual experience with 90 some of your say that I like well how to do this. How do we have these experiences discuss around 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.

That's ALL John shows you the God speaks to you right when God speaks to you is, he magnifies the word in your life tell you to sit around and look what it away. For this I got a warm strange belt. Do not look with him there's nothing but boys and their right lot is gone. The woods and I thank God that you notify God the woods you go to would enjoy God's creation, but if you would take your Bible with you because that's where God is going 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 on 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 quarter is mad at you until you shut up. No, 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 talked to 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 attend first 10 minutes.

Just read the Bible second 10 minutes praying talk to God about what's going on in your life by the weight, make a list of what you want to talk to God and pray to that list don't dislike all God you will do what I do if I do start praying without a list until you start praying and 35 minutes later and think about the spaghetti we had the night before, Mike is wonderful over the place, or get you a list and pray and ask God to do survey lasted minutes read a devotional some kind of Christian book 30 minutes you do 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… 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 like I pray there's things back to God. As I pray to my list of people that II love which would you I have 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 did 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 wants to do work in your life. He does it through the means of the body was reading your disconnect of the body are disconnected from the power of God. The analogy I usually use all the time, but this is important. The 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, why isn't one always use if not you button the knee. My left leg is itching that the lease is up little message to the brain is IH.

So what is the brain to the brace and I like magical brains use your microwave power. The unit is all bids know 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 care. Every is in any stretch of the attorneys happy and happier by 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. He does by means of other members of his body which each of your disconnect 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 from 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 abort your friends that are most broken. We want to teach you to be an expert at applying Scripture to those broken parts of become an expert at that. Take advantage of these counseling seminars on the news for yourself in the presence of the word of God given to real quick, occasional fellow number two. Here's her second thing.

Pray for, pray for it.

That's what you see Paul doing right with the Ephesians is to teach them 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 what 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 was no stranger to pain. What he said about all this pain member about the way Paul is paying was not like in a JV principal Sagan and he was jobless and homeless important 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 it wouldn't painful his pain when compared probably many of you in here who are in midst of great pain is light and momentary is not about a 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 to come 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 grasped the height and the width and depth in the breath of the love of God for you become so weighty to pray for this is not new thing you need to learn. It's your heart being open to the beauty and the depth of the old things. Lastly, his lasting people baby when you don't feel it is people baby don't feel it.

Listen, that's my experience. 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 read an article this week about.he was talking about the beauty of being married for 50 or 60 years. He said there are long stretches in your marriage or the relationship become sterile. Thomas becomes cold he said with the moments of intimacy and a couple is learn to trust each other for 60 years or so much greater.

So much sweeter when you get from a temporary fling or an affair is a long obedience to God the same direction. That is the path to which he releases this intimacy in your life so you don't feel it.

Just keep obeying people yourself presence of the work and keep praying and yearning for fellowship and it's missing the happening to you. You want to happen to you as possible with pastor and theologian Jenny Claire.

If you join us late today or if you miss any part of this message you can hear it again online JD Greer.com or any series here on the program called short discovering the evidence of true saving faith and that's also the subject of a new devotional. My pastor JD called a short sale pastor JD. I think a lot of us struggle with the concept of assuring know I knew maybe we had a friend lead when he used to follow God that they phone went diving. We all know somebody like that somebody who seemed like for a while they were genuine follower of Christ with them later in life. They walk away and the question becomes, is it possible for somebody to lose their salvation about us teach that once you're truly saved. You can never be lost and so you can't lose your salvation with also is true is that once you truly saved and you will always follow Jesus means that yes you will fall in the sand sometimes but but if you truly saved, God will bring you out of that, back to repentance, so that's something I dress and a new devotional that were given out with the series, short is about the assurance of salvation.

You can know for sure your say we love to get you a copy of this, we think it could be useful for you very helpful in your own path to assurance. Also, just in helping you know how to counsel somebody else may be your children or somebody just in your life and be a parent sometimes found older people like to have this in the killing. They will not talk about on this can equip you to be able to help them.

If you reach out to us in JD Greer.com. I would love to know in part with you a ministry to put a resource like this in your self-help game in-depth study encouraging me devotional 1980 short will be happy today when you donate to support this ministry is getting level is $25 or more. Your generous gift is a long way in helping us bring Bible teaching to the radio in the lab without cost.

So join 866-586-6520 we can give online JD Greer.com Molly that events join us tomorrow when Katie explained topic like actually given assurance of salvation Thursday on Senate night 19