Sermon Central
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Finding God
Contributed by Andy Grossman on Mar 22, 2019 (message contributor)
Summary: Loving God with all our heart
“Finding God”
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
It is a wonderful thing to experience the Love of God. To realize that God loved you so much that He gave His only Son for you; (John 3:16) To realize that God loves you so much that He desires an eternal relationship with you; To understand that God is working in our lives right now and making plans to bless us for eternity. He has worked in our past; He is working in the present; and He is working in our future right now! How awesome is that! Jesus said,
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3
Is that not a wonderful thing to know? It is so wonderful that every Christian has the mandate to share it with others. The founder of the Nazarene Church, Phineas Bresee, said, “We are obligated to share the Gospel in the same measure as we have received it.”
Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
We have received a wonderful invitation to become members of God’s families, adopted through the blood of Jesus. What a wonderful thing to know a little bit of our future destiny – eternal life and God preparing a place for us. But with great blessings come great responsibility. And we do have a responsibility to share the blessing with others. Every day we ought to be letting our light shine. (At Day’s End)
If we have believed the Gospel and put our trust in our Savior Jesus Christ, then every day that Gospel – that Belief – will rub off on others. It changes our lives. From inward to outward; from selfishness to self-sacrificing; from hedonistic and narcissistic to putting others first – Jesus changes us to become a blessing and a sweet fragrance to others.
Another way that our faith will change us; another way our love will change us, is in our passions. We used to love us first. We used to put ourselves first. We were passionate in getting the most pleasure, fun, excitement, etc. out of life. It was all about us. We were the ‘love of our lives’. Now Jesus becomes our passion. We surrender our will to His. We surrender our desires to His. We surrender our place to His. We seek not to be served – but to serve.
Our Scripture says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) Jesus said,
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
“Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37
Most Christians want just enough religion to make it to heaven. They don’t want to give up ALL their time; not ALL their money; not ALL their will; not ALL their desires. God wants it all! When your will comes in conflict with His – YOU are to surrender willingly. He wants you to pursue Him above all else. He wants to be what you love most. He wants you to make him what you are most passionate about.
To do that is not easy. To make God first you have to die – die to self.
Paul said,
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
