Draw Near
Renewed Faith: Drawing Closer • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsUnder the old covenant, coming near to God was closely linked with the sacrificial system, but under the new covenant Jesus Christ’s sacrifice has given believers free access into God’s presence.
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2022 Lesson Progress
We are presenting classes and lessons that build on themselves for your benefit of spiritual growth and maturity.
2022 Theme: Renewed Faith
Sunday School March 2022: Faith Series (5-8) of 9 afterwards “A More Perfect You” (9 lessons)
Sunday Morning Assembly 2022: “Decluttering our Lives”
Sunday Evening Assembly 2022: “Renewed Love” (1-5) of 16 lessons
Wednesday Evening March 2022: “Renewed Hope:” (5-9) of 10 lessons
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Thesis/ Central Idea:
Under the old covenant, coming near to God was closely linked with the sacrificial system of works, but under the new covenant Jesus Christ’s sacrifice has given believers free access into God’s presence.
Introduction:
God has always wanted a closer relationship with you.
He loves us better than we love ourselves.
A warped since of independence and freedom have us distancing ourselves from God, who is our true benefactor and help.
We degrade ourselves in ways that God would never do, if mankind were His puppets.
God has given us free will and we chose freely to live as far away as we can from His guidance and love.
Our creator is not a stalker and will not force you to obey Him.
He draws closer to us, as we draw closer to Him.
[There has always been a way to draw closer to the One who loves us better than we love ourselves…]
Drawing near to God under the Old Covenant
Drawing near to God under the Old Covenant
Access to God was restricted
Access to God was restricted
It was a special designation that was allowed under the old covenant to come to God...
1 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. 2 Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”
See also Ex 19:20–24; Ex 20:18–19; Le 21:21; Dt 5:22–27; Ps 65:4
Priests drew near to God in order to minister to him
Priests drew near to God in order to minister to him
It took a special blood heritage under the old covenant to minister for God...
15 “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord God.
See also Le 10:1–3; Eze 40:46; Eze 42:13; Eze 43:19; Eze 45:4
The people drew near to God to offer worship
The people drew near to God to offer worship
The Law as it was convicting men of sin had many works
Drawing near to God took works spelled out in the sacrificial system for all kinds of things...
13 “And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he shall bathe his body in fresh water and shall be clean. 14 And on the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons and come before the Lord to the entrance of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest. 15 And the priest shall use them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord for his discharge.
See also Le 9:1–5; Ps 96:8; Ps 100:2–4; Mic 6:6–8
[Now however, through Jesus man can have access to God, not by the ordinances of the Law, but now by faith…]
Drawing near to God under the new covenant
Drawing near to God under the new covenant
Under the new Covenant, it is faith that allows man to draw closer to God...
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
See also 1 Co 8:8; Heb 7:11–19; Heb 10:1–10
[God walked with man in the Garden
God spoke with Abraham and the Patriarchs
God gave us a school master which is the Old Covenant
God establishes a New Covenant, all in an effort to draw closer to Man…
He has always wanted to be close to you and me...]
God prompts his people to draw near to him
God prompts his people to draw near to him
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
See also Is 55:6–7; Je 3:21–4:2
God beckons to us through the ages and through His Word, yet we refuse His call...
Some refuse to draw near to God
Some refuse to draw near to God
2 She listens to no voice;
she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
Man thinks freedom and personal independence is the absence of a personal God, who meddles in the affairs of free man...
30 In vain have I struck your children;
they took no correction;
your own sword devoured your prophets
like a ravening lion.
31 And you, O generation, behold the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
or a land of thick darkness?
Why then do my people say, ‘We are free,
we will come no more to you’?
Eventually man will have to answer the call...
All people will ultimately draw near to God
All people will ultimately draw near to God
A day is coming when we will all have to draw closer to God...
4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.
This prophecy has played out before and is playing out today...
Another prophecy of Isaiah should get our attention...
22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth
that I make
shall remain before me, says the Lord,
so shall your offspring and your name remain.
23 From new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the Lord.
[Experience your Maker and Messiah, by following His ways…]
God draws near to those who draw near to him
God draws near to those who draw near to him
Just as too many of us will not experience the true full joy that comes from a spiritual union (do to being double-minded)
We are double minded because we live the single life and the married life in the marriage
We are double minded because we live the carnal/ earthly life and the spiritual life in the marriage
We are double minded because we live according to our selfish desires,
trying to mix in the ideal desires we think our relationship unions are suppose to deliver to us
Even more will miss out on the blessed spiritual union that comes from walking with the Lord
Marriage was given to man that He would not be alone
Most married couples do not experience the fullness that the marriage relationship can deliver
because we all want to walk our own way
we do not want to walk with our mate in marriage (the spiritual union as prescribed by God)
we want our mates to walk with us according to our ways
As stated earlier in this lesson, we degrade ourselves in carnal unions (not prescribed by God)
Draw Near by following Him and His Way
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
See also Ps 145:18; Je 3:22; Je 30:21–22; Zec 1:3; Mal 3:7; Heb 7:19
19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
Be obedient to the hope of mankind that allows us to draw closer to God...
Conclusion:
Today is the day we draw closer to the one who dies for our sins
Recognize the things God has done to draw closer to you
In return draw closer to Him
only then will you truly experience the blessed union that comes from being a child of God
He’s not going to stalk you
Even though you feel like He is
You are simply experiencing the consequences of not living according to laws of His creation
Consequences that you rebel against because you can’t have your way
Last month’s sermons have showed you that:
Discipline is the foundation
This month’s sermons have shown you that:
Jesus is Closer than any Brother
to “Pay Close Attention to What You Hear”
to “Stop Keeping God at Arm’s Length”
and today “Draw Near”...
Invitation: