How to reconnect with God | Chris B

This message was shared  by Chris B at Word of Grace Church on February 4th, 2018. To listen/download the audio please click here. To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here.

Story from my own life- May 19, 2007- Just after midnight, I approached a young lady whose name was Jennifer Johnson and asked her to marry me. I won’t spoil the ending for you. 

Q. Why did I ask her to marry me?

Not because she could make perfectly round chapattis. The answer is that I wanted to spend the rest of my life in her presence. I didn’t want to go a single day without being refreshed by her presence.

That did not happen for some time, but finally we did get married. We had a small celebration that night with some friends and we went to sleep. That Sunday I was scheduled to preach something that I will be preaching today.

1 John 3:1-3 “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

In verse 2, what we will be has not yet appeared. It doesn’t mean we will be disowned later. It means that we are not children of God in these bodies, but when Jesus returns, what we will look like and how we will be with him, we do not know. We will be in a body like him, not prone to sin or sickness. While we can describe what it wont be like, what we will be is harder for us for we have not seen it.

We will be like him. We know that because we will see him as he is. This is an important principle. To the degree that you see Jesus as he is, to the same degree, you are sanctified. The world doesn’t know us because it did not know him. As we go from death to life, we begin being transformed. 2 Corinthians 3:18- “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” As we behold him, we are being changed from one shade of glory to the next.

That’s why in 1 John 2, he says that whenever he appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is. The transformation will be complete as we see him completely. This is a work that is done through the spirit. This is a spiritual discerning and not a physical seeing. It is a perceiving.

 Q. How do we do that?

3 categories of things that are going to help us:

1.      This July Jenn and I will celebrate our 10 years. Recently I was away for 8-10 days and I was feeling disconnected from her. We were not communicating, I didn’t know what was happening with her- we were just not in step. Have you ever felt that way with a family member? When we went out for one day, we reconnected. It is super-important for my marriage. In the same way, we need to regularly connect with God. It happens by experiencing him in his word.

2.      We also need to talk. We go to God and pray. God is an infinitely patient listener.

3.      Together- together with him. When we corporately gather to do together-together with him- to sing songs and worship him, be encouraged by others testimonies, the gifts of spirit encourage us to move forward together.

If we want to see growth, we need to be doing this regularly! These means of grace are very valuable for us. Think back to the verse 1 John 3:3. As we gather together- together with him, it strengthens our hope in him. It gives us greater desire for him. We are more delighted by him than the world.

Q. What does this look like?

When we have this hope, 1 Peter 1:3-9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls”.

There is a fourth idea, which I think is equally important- i.e. suffering: In this letter Peter is writing to a people who have lost everything. He speaks about the living hope. Even though they are suffering there is inexpressible glorious joy. When we are suffering we get a chance to come together and ask God for a miracle. But if you have joy even when you are suffering, it is sign to you that God is working in your life and that you are growing. When you have every reason to be unhappy, you rejoice instead of complaining, then you see the Lord grow in you in your walk. It is through the lens of suffering that we get to see how we have grown in Him.

Joy in the midst of suffering is a gift that is given to us. That is an excellent sign that we are children of God. I recommend that we do these things to grow and mature in God- to be transformed by him through seeing and knowing him. 

Let’s pray!

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – THE LAYING ON OF HANDS

Here is a  short but very practical word that was shared shared by Steve Oliver (at the Regions Beyond gathering in Mumbai)on some vital things we need to pay attention to when we come together as a church. It is a blessing to have the Apostolic gift put some solid stuff into the foundations of the church .

Impartation through the laying on of hands was very much a part of church life but we have settled for a hymn sandwich.

 In the early church laying on of hands was a part of life. We need to get it back and contend for it. 

Paul writes to Timothy – do not neglect the gift you got through the laying o of hands. When the Elders of a church lay hands, something happens – don’t be little it.

If we are full of the Spirit and faith – we have weapons of mass destruction in our hands ( to demolish every stronghold of Satan)

 I   So firstly this is something we need to establish in the local church as part of our foundations. It should be a daily routine.

Secondly we are a Word and Spirit church

Some Sundays don’t preach the Word – lay hands. Leaders should model it. Make it a life style I your leadership meetings. As leaders, be eager to receive prayer as well.

Organize well – it shows you are intentional. 

II Create an atmosphere where people can encounter God. Do it with faith. You don’t work it up.  it’s a promise from God “ I will pour out my spirit on all flesh”

Worship leaders – lead people into His presence. Explain about the anointing and how it works. Tell people to receive and expect the Holy Spirit.

Testimonies are helpful. Teach people to linger in the presence of God.

III   Those who minister the Word – build it into your message – tell your people that you will pray for them after the message that they can respond to the Word. This creates a hunger and thirst for God.

Look for evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit when you are praying.

IV Establish this as a body ministry so that it is not around a person. There will be different measures according to faith but it will be a body. This builds churches. What you teach is added to experience and it becomes life. It will start small but you will see God move. Amen!

Practicing the presence

This message was preached at Word of Grace Church on the 221st of Oct 2012 by Bill Berry.

You can listen to the audio recording by clicking here .

We can be followers of Jesus for many years and yet there is so much more we need to grow and realize our own sinfulness and need for brokenness.

TEXT : John 15

Jesus wants us to have joy that is the shalom of God where we lack nothing. “I am the true vine_- that implies that there are other vines that are not the real thing – there are other options that we can get plugged into.

As humans we search for a life of joy in many places but Jesus says that to have true joy we need to plug into Him. Some plug into their careers, their children etc. These are good but it’s not where we get our completeness from. Some plug into pleasure- the next vacation. But that lasting peace and joy comes from Jesus – the source of life. 

The Father is the vines dresser i.e  Jesus was under the father’s care and submission.

V2 Blake translates “Cut off” as “Lifts up”. The Jewish way of growing vine was to let it run on the ground and they would prop up the vines on small rocks ( not on sticks like we do today). He lifts us up when we are not fruitful to help us bear fruit. The ones that are bearing fruit he prunes to make them more fruitful. Hebrews 12- the Father disciplines those whom he loves so that we will produce the life that will bring joy and satisfaction. So let him do the pruning.

Heb12:-2 this is what the Father is involved in – helping to remove sin in our lives and the things that hinder. Hindrances are not necessarily by sin but it can affect our spiritual life Eg) over work, over spending etc.

What is the greatest need of humanity? To be delivered from sin. That’s why God sent Jesus.The most important thing is not a good job, a good education, spouse, but the forgiveness of sin because God gave his very best for the greatest need. We need to be freed from the penalty and power of sin. So the father disciplines us so that we can become free from the power of sin and we can bear more fruit.

Heb 12:2 The way we overcome is by fixing our eyes on Jesus i.e. the eyes of our heart- that our heart is constantly in tune with Jesus. We need to be in constant contact. The greatest struggle is that we do not live in constant contact with Jesus. When was the last time I thought about Jesus? He wants to be in constant commune with you. What does “apart from me you can do nothing mean?’ Paul says pray without ceasing i.e commune with Jesus and there is awareness in the home as a husband/wife at work, pleasure time.

How do we do that ?

We need to learn to pray – it comes from practice. We need to practice the presence of God. His presence is always with us  .

Jesus could minister in power because he was in tune to the Father. Because we have Jesus with us we should be most creative people because we are in constant contact with the creator.

In business we can put God on display – he will give us ideas. Christian families should be supernatural. This comes  from abiding.

Verse 4 Jesus talks about fruitfulness. Fruit is about who you are – it will have an effect on what you do. John 13:34-35 Love one another- disciple. John 15:8  Fruitfulness – is being a disciple of Jesus. Fruitfulness authentically loves one another i.e the body of Christ. The world sees our love – this was the hall mark of the early church and they were testifying about it. Is the world seeing this today? 

Today not much difference between Christian s and non Christians in family life (we have almost the same divorce rates), business ethics etc. We have a lot of head knowledge but it not changing the heart. Proverbs 4:23 It’s the heart that God is interested in. The west has abandoned this and gone for the head or it’s gone for emotionalism.

But it’s the heart where the connection is. Get into communion with God. That is why worship touches the depths of your being. We need to learn to be in step with the spirit.

V8. “My father is glorified…” The way we glorified God is when we live in constant commune and that comes with practice. Experts become experts because they practice something about 10,000 times.

If you practice things you will make certain things begin to happen. Spiritual disciplines is the door that allows God to do things inside out. Repentance is not a onetime event but a process and a journey.

Verse 9  We are as loved by the father as he loves Jesus-the wonder, the mystery of this! These things I have said so that your joy will be complete.

We need to only keep the 2 great commands but we need Jesus to help us and the result of that obedience is joy. Joy is only found in loving God and loving people.

We need to practice abiding in Jesus. It will transform our lives and everything we do.   

Bill Berry 

21 Oct 2012