Nearness of God

Romans 10:6-116 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not

say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But

what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message

concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess

your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

A) We live in a complicated world

that clouds the most basic and essential elements

Luke 17:20-2120 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come,

Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be

observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of

God is in your midst.”

“… all that extra information isn’t actually an advantage at all; in fact, you need to know very little to find

the underlying signature of a complex phenomenon………that extra information is more than

useless. It’s harmful.”(Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: The

power of thinking without thinking. Back Bay Books, 2007.)

1) God made us creatures of instinct

2) In a complex world we are taught not to trust natural intuition

3) Result: We are robbed of that

natural God given instinct called spiritual intuition

Psalm 19:1-41 The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 Day after day they pour forth speech;    night after night they reveal knowledge.3 They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.In the heavens God has pitched a tent for

the sun.

Romans 1:2020 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been

made, so that people are without excuse.

Psalm 139:13-1413 For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,    I know that full well.

B) The Word is near you

Jeremiah 29:13You will seek me and find me when you

seek me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Matt 7:7-87 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and

you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks

receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be

opened.

James 4:8Come near to God and he will come near

to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

“You seek without what you have within”…and …”Now we must begin to abandon and give up our whole existence to God. We must do this

from the strong and positive conviction that what happens every moment comes from His immediate will and permission and is exactly

what our spiritual condition needs.” Smith, Steven. "Guyon, Madame

(1648–1717).“ The Encyclopedia of Christian

Civilization.

C) God is near to us in our brokenness

Psalm 34:18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted    and saves those who are crushed in

spirit.

Isaiah 57:15For this is what the high and exalted One

says—    he who lives forever, whose name is

holy:“I live in a high and holy place,

    but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly    and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Matt 11:28Come to me, all you who are weary and

burdened, and I will give you rest.

Psalm 91:1-41 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my

fortress,    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you    from the fowler’s snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his feathers,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;    his faithfulness will be your shield and

rampart.