30 Dec Drawing Near to God #3

https://youtu.be/0Mlkwvcc6qw

Drawing Near God Overview

In the third installment of his ‘Drawing Near to God’ series, Pastor Paul explores how genuine intimacy with God transforms our spiritual walk. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 13:14 and James 4:7-10, he emphasizes that Christianity is more than performance—it’s about experiencing God’s manifest presence. Using the Christmas narrative and Roman historical context, Pastor Paul explains how Jesus came as heaven’s apostle to negotiate a truce with humanity, offering grace and truth instead of mere religious obligation. He shares a powerful vision of mountains representing people’s desire to draw near to God, referencing Moses’ encounters and Jesus’ transfiguration. The sermon challenges believers to move beyond seeking God only for what He can do to genuinely hungering for His presence. Pastor Paul warns that in these chaotic times of lawlessness, drawing near to God isn’t automatic—it requires intentional pursuit. He distinguishes between God’s omnipresence and His manifest presence, using marriage analogies to illustrate the difference between appreciating someone’s performance versus missing their presence. The message concludes with a call for undivided loyalty, genuine repentance, and humble pursuit of God’s tangible presence in our daily lives.

Drawing Near God Outline

• 0:00 – Series Introduction and Teaching Method: Explaining the line-upon-line teaching approach from Isaiah
• 2:30 – The Fullness of Time and Jesus’ Coming: Historical context of Jesus’ birth and Roman influence
• 8:45 – Understanding the Church and Apostolic Mission: How Rome’s expansion strategy mirrors God’s kingdom approach
• 15:20 – Jesus as Heaven’s Negotiator: Christ came to show the true nature of the Father
• 20:10 – Vision of Mountains Across Wisconsin: Prophetic vision representing people’s desire to draw near God
• 25:40 – Presence vs Performance Christianity: The difference between wanting God’s works versus His presence
• 32:15 – Drawing Near to God from James 4: Practical steps for experiencing God’s manifest presence
• 38:30 – Moses and the Burning Bush Example: How God responds when we take initiative to draw close

Scripture References

Isaiah 28:10, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Galatians 4:4, John 14:6, Ezekiel 36:20-23, Matthew 17:1-9, Psalm 121:1-2, James 4:7-10, Exodus 3:1-6

Key Takeaways

• True Christianity is about experiencing God’s presence, not just His performance in our lives.
• Jesus came as heaven’s apostle to negotiate a truce and show us the true nature of the Father.
• Drawing near to God requires our initiative—He responds when we genuinely seek His presence.
• In times of increasing lawlessness, we need God’s manifest presence to stand in righteousness.
• Undivided loyalty between God and the world is essential for experiencing His tangible presence.
• God’s omnipresence differs from His manifest presence—we should hunger for the latter.
• Personal relationship with God cannot be inherited or borrowed—everyone needs their own encounter.

Drawing Near God Notes

Pastor Paul’s third message in the ‘Drawing Near to God’ series builds upon the foundational truth that genuine Christianity transcends religious performance to embrace intimate relationship with the Father. Using Isaiah’s teaching methodology of ‘line upon line, precept upon precept,’ he systematically unveils how God’s presence transforms believers from mere church attendees to kingdom carriers. The historical context surrounding Jesus’ birth reveals profound spiritual parallels. When Rome conquered territories, they didn’t crush inhabitants but sent apostles to negotiate truces, offering benefits for surrender and conformity to Roman ways. This strategy allowed Rome to expand through relationship rather than force, building roads and infrastructure that blessed submitted territories. Similarly, Jesus came as heaven’s apostle during the ‘fullness of time,’ negotiating a truce between holy God and sinful humanity. The religious leaders of that era had reduced faith to law-keeping without mercy or compassion, profaning God’s name by misrepresenting His character. Jesus came ‘full of grace and truth’ to reveal the Father’s true nature—healing all who came to Him and demonstrating divine compassion. The pastor’s vision of mountains springing up across Wisconsin powerfully illustrates the spiritual hunger emerging in people’s hearts. Mountains throughout Scripture represent places of divine encounter—Moses on Sinai, Jesus’ transfiguration, David’s declaration in Psalm 121 about lifting eyes to the hills. These elevated places symbolize our upward reach toward heaven’s reality. Pastor Paul challenges the modern tendency to treat God like a divine vending machine, approaching Him only when we need something. He uses marriage analogies to illustrate the difference between missing someone’s service versus their presence. True spiritual maturity grieves the absence of God’s manifest presence, not just the lack of answered prayers. James 4:7-10 provides the roadmap for drawing near: humility, devil resistance, cleansing, and undivided loyalty. The Moses and burning bush encounter demonstrates that God waits for our initiative—He didn’t speak until Moses drew near to investigate the supernatural phenomenon. This principle remains unchanged: God responds to genuine spiritual hunger with manifest presence.

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