And encounter with God will impact your life forever.
1 Samuel 3:1-10 NLT (full passage)
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
James 4:5
5 Does the Scripture mean nothing to you that says, “The Spirit that God breathed into our hearts is a jealous Lover who intensely desires to have more and more of us”?
Colossians 1:26-27
26 The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints),
27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.
What does an encounter with God look like?
a. It’s an encounter with a real Person – not feelings or tears - not just receiving a healing.
b. Is different for different people
c. Will touch your feelings and emotions
d. May have physical manifestations – or not
e. Can happen anywhere – not just in church
f. Will have lasting fruit
g. Will involve your choice – you must yield
Romans 10:20
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown (revealed) Myself to those who did not [consciously] ask for Me.
PRAY
Pray for our children to have this kind of encounter, so they will grow in the knowledge of God. Dedication is fuelled by revelation.
Ephesians 1:15 – 18
I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 3 AMP
17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
The Ephesian church was a hard-working group of believers full of fortitude. Also to their credit, they were gate-keepers of the truth and did not compromise with evildoers, and they showed patient endurance in bearing up under hardship.
Revelation 2:
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.
1 Corinthians 11:23 NLT
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Song at the end – words on screen
Before the world began You were on His mind And every tear you cry Is precious in His eyes Because of His great love He gave His only Son Everything was done So you would come
Nothing you can do Could make Him love you more And nothing that you've done Could make Him close the door Because of His great love He gave His only Son Everything was done So you would come
Come to the Father Though your gift is small Broken hearts, broken lives He will take them all The power of the Word The power of His blood Everything was done So you would come
Salvation prayer
“Father God, thank you for giving Jesus. I believe that He took my sin by dying on the cross, and I believe that You raised Him from the dead. Thank you for making a way for me to have new life in You. I receive that free gift of eternal life right now! In Jesus name, amen.”