Relax folks! Cycleguy’s Spin nor my sermon this Sunday is going X-rated! I once read a booklet called “The Tyranny of the Urgent” and the basic premise was how we often get so involved in the busyness of life that we have allowed the urgent to crowd out the important. I gotta admit to you all that is more me than I care to admit. Warren Webster, a missionary to Pakistan, once said,
“If I had my life to live over again, I would live it to change the lives of people, because you have not changed anything until you’ve changed the lives of people.”
Strangely, I used that quote back in a sermon in 2007 and I still feel the same…maybe even more intensely. 58 years of life and over 38 of them spent in “professional” ministry have convinced me that we are too busy. I am too busy! And because of that busyness, the one thing that seems to suffer the most is my intimacy with God. I have this sneaking suspicion I am not alone…not by a long shot. The media that was to have made our life easier has just cluttered it even more. In my almost 3 years of blogging I have seen people come and go. Some leave for good while others, like this man, take a short time off. Intimacy with God is something we should never take lightly.
Since I am preaching on Acts 2:42 and the characteristic is “breaking of bread” I am going to take it in two directions. First, I think the obvious one is the Lord’s Supper/Communion/Lord’s Table, whatever you may call it. I happen to be involved in a church tradition that observes Communion every week. For the record: I am not tied to that. I can see both value and mishap with it. My purpose in this blog (or the sermon) is not to go into that. I plan to show how Communion is a great time for intimacy with God. The second direction is to talk about intimacy with God on a daily basis. The Psalmist said, “As a deer pants for flowing streams so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” [Ps.42:1-2] I WANT that in my own life! I hope to communicate Sunday that there is nothing-absolutely nothing-of greater importance than knowing Christ intimately and intensely. I would appreciate your prayers for me and for the church this Sunday.
May I ask you a question? How is your intimacy with God these days? Would it be weighed in the balances and found wanting? What will you do this weekend to “tighten up” the relationship? I would like to hear your plan of attack.
Right at this particular juncture my intimacy is pretty high. God has been in my heart and mind a lot this week. Have spent a lot of time in praise and prayer. Also a lot of time contemplating how to improve in different areas of my walk.
I do agree that it is so important to slow down enough to have that time. Whenever I get too busy, I can definitely feel the difference.
I might try a new church on Sunday. I’ve been going back and forth about whether I want to try somewhere new or not. At my current church I feel like I’m connecting with God, but am lacking the community that I’d like to build. Not sure what to do… prayers would be most appreciated (or any advice you have to give).
Glad to hear about your intimacy factor Kim. That is cool! Don’t know what to tell you about the church thing. Part of me says stick it out. The other part of me says if you aren’t finding what you are looking for look elsewhere. But don’t be surprised if God leads you back where you came from with new “eyes.” I will definitely pray for you.
Ha! I would not be surprised at all if that were the case 🙂
Appreciate the insight. I’ll keep you posted on my “progress”.
Look forward to hearing. 🙂
Last Sunday evening I went to a prayer meeting at my church. It was wonderful! The more time I spend in prayer, both alone and in a group setting, the better my relationship. It sounds so simple, but how often do we catch ourselves going for extended periods of time without prayer? I am fortunate to be in a season where my prayer life is pretty good. I plan to keep taking advantage of those daily windows of time to keep my prayer life strong. Thanks, Bill!
Larry: you put it well when you stated a “season where my prayer life is pretty good.” I think we go through those seasons. By all means take advantage. 🙂 They help for the times when the brook is dry.
I’m excited that this will be your subject of teaching, Bill. This is something that is huge in my life and something we talk about constantly in my church community.
True intimacy with God overflows into intimacy with our families and community. It’s funny that most people think of intimacy and immediately think of sex. I feel like the connotation on the word has changed for the worse.
I pray that your words pierce hearts and encourage your community to pursue intimacy with the Lord!
Fantastic comment Tony! It is sad that intimacy has lost its luster in relating to all relationships. Thanks for your comments and thanks for the prayers.
I actually posted about knowing God intimately and personally this morning.
I think one of our hindrances in intimacy, and something that Henry Blackaby points out in Experiencing God, is that we seek to know God through how he blesses us instead of seeking to know Him by submitting to His will and His way. The blessings are a by-product of the relationship. They are not the means to relationship.
Dusty: haven’t had a chance to get to read yours yet today. Will do so but I am sure it contains exactly what you saying here. I like what Blackaby says about knowing God. Thanks.
God smacked between the eyes yesterday at One Day that my intimacy was not as strong as I thought it was. God moved yesterday and today I have put to action some of the things I needed to do.
My plan of attack:
My QT needs to be first thing (no exceptions – I have got stuck in the exception thing which became a slippery slope.
Just change the routine some and pray some new and bigger prayers.
Thanks Bill!
Every once in a while we need a 2×4 Jim. I know I do. Praying for you.
I agree. Intimacy is of the greatest importance (goes back to that ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength’ thing). I’ve got plenty of challenges right now (some of the biggest of my life), but I also am experiencing the presence of God in the most incredible ways. All it does is make me want to go deeper. It’s like trying to find the bottom and knowing you never will.
Thanks Bill. Praying for you as proclaim the word of the Lord this weekend! Blessings…
It is great to hear that in spite of the challenges you are experiencing God’s presence in incredible ways. Love to hear about it and will look forwarding to hearing it. Thanks so much for your prayers Jason.
Hi Bill,
I think for me it’s about my prayer time. I need to put in more prayer time with and without an agenda.
Just praising, singing, lifting up my hands, proclaiming his ownership over my life, his ways to be my ways, praying for wisdom from God, and whatever else comes into my heart and mind during that time.
I slso need to be more disciplined in purposeful prayer. Praying for the children. So many children in every country have needs. Many children are being used,abused, and exploited by adults.
I need to pray for the Body of Christ. For God to raise up those among us who have giftings and grace from Him to help his people. To raise up those who have 5-fold ministry grace from God. Do I care who these people are? No. We just absolutely need them right now.
Seems to be the prayer life is the common theme Linda. We probably all need to put more into our prayer time without an agenda. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Bill,
I think that we christians may avoid intimacy with God because of the change this may bring. The Scriptures say to rejoice in the trials of our faith. Why? I think it is because in those times if we lean on and trust God, we grow. It’s an opportunity to get to know God better and to partake of Him more.
God’s ways are not the ways of the world. We have to understand this and overcome our fears.
I was watching a tv program last night called Doc Zone in Alberta, Canada. There is no doubt on anyone’s mind that scientifically through mega computer forcasting the earth is destined for ruin and total destruction unless man finds a way to turn this situation around. One person interviewed on the this program said ‘I can understand what is going to happen to the earth, but what is going to happen to me?’
Linda: I do think many are afraid of change so they prefer to avoid it.
I find my intimacy with Jesus ebbs and flows. I used to think I was not “right with God” if it didn’t stay on some kind of intense plain at all times. I’ve learned to pursue and be pursued in my prayer life…a give and take..sometimes I chat up a storm and sometimes I just listen and praise Him…its wonderful to know He loves me when I listen and when I talk and when I can’t even get the words out and my heart is heavy…so..not sure if this is bad I no longer have a plan of attack…I was preached at for years that if you didn’t get up at a certain time and pray for a certain amount in a certain way you were backslidden..I failed and never measured up when I tried to do that..now..its like coming home when I pray…I am welcomed with open arms and I go talk to my Papa who loves me SO much!
Great question Bill!
Julie: I am with you on this. My intimacy also ebbs and flows, much of it depending on my obedience/disobedience factor. I cringe when I hear of the bludgeoning you took about the praying/QT. I was one of the pastors who used to say those kinds of things. So glad I got out of that. so glad you did also. thanks for the comment.
Bill…
This is so important, for true intimacy with Father God takes us out of those things that keep us away from Him. The desire is growing within me to be like Mary and sit at His feet.
Thanks Brother for the link to my post BTW!
jay: great thought about true intimacy. i have those moments when I simply want to be Mary. You’re welcome. Your blog is a must read of mine. 🙂
This week was tough on one hand, but also it was the week when I was reading Dekker’s Blessed Child and… Wow. Considering that Dekker co-authored this book with Bill Bright, it talked about so many issues that were bothering me, among them intimacy with God. It reignited the desire for more intimate relationship with Him. It is still wanting, but I found myself in the “shoes” of that deer. And I know I’m stating the obvious, but it’s an awesome feeling.
Zee: it is an awesome feeling to be in the shoes of that deer. It should be our prayer every day. I know I have much to work on. Thanks for taking the time to come by.