“Intimacy”
in-ti-ma-cy – A close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with, a close association with or detailed knowledge or deep understanding of …In Exodus 19:6 God speaking to Moses says, “…you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation...” He didn’t want just one person to be a priest and mediator between He and the people. He wanted them all to consider themselves priests.
We find in Exodus 20:18-21 how ‘the people’ wanted their relationship with God to be. “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die. Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”
Intimacy cannot be achieved ‘staying at a distance’.
SALVATION IS FREE BUT INTIMACY WILL COST YOU SOMETHNG
If our idea of a good service is low commitment and lots of thrills and chills we will stay as the Israelites did, “At a distance”. We hear a lot of talk about God. We hear people voice the desire to see ‘revival’ but
we don’t hear much talk about ‘intimacy’ in our personal relationship with God. We hear talk of ‘using’ His principles to make sure that ‘we’ are blessed but do we ever think about blessing Him or the desire of
the one who is doing the blessing?
In Gen. 3:9 we see one of the shortest yet one of the most probing questions that God could ever ask of man. God was wanting to fellowship with the only part of His creation that could return the love that He gave. God asks, “But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Man was created for intimacy and fellowship with the Father.
James 4:8 says, “Draw close to God and God will draw close to you”. God is still wanting to draw close. We need to ask ourselves, “Where are we?” Are we still at the place where we want someone to talk to
God for us and tell us what He says? As we begin to draw close to God do we begin to fear way down inside? We know that nothing is hidden from His sight and many still cling to that sin that so easily
besets us. Whether it be thought, word or deed when we approach God and His light begins to fill our being there is some little bit of flesh we feed, something glaring, something that offends Him, something that we aren’t ready just yet to give up.
Well if we want to raise the levels of intimacy in our relationship with God that is one of the things it will cost us.
We love to put on the face and play the game. We love to look like we are drawing close yet all the while stay distant in our hearts.
Listen to how God describes the situation in Isaiah 29:13, “…These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” When a people are used to going through the motions, even singing good songs but doing it on a set schedule with solid, inflexible parameters it can begin to get ritualistic. There is no freedom for God to do or say anything that is not on our schedule. Worship can create incredible intimacy with God if given time and not rushed. When we invite Him to move in our midst and create an atmosphere where He can do it He never gives us advance notice. "Well, at 11:25 am right after the music I will move, right in the space you have provided for me in
the service." It never happens like that.
People can go in and “honor God with their lips” and their heart can never get involved. It happens in churches all over this city every Sunday. The first evidence of this will be seen in 'their worship' according to this verse. They will never reach a level of intimacy with God. Many congregations in many churches never get past the outer court and only see the holy place from a distance. If they had freedom in worship (I should say if God had freedom to move and do what He wanted) outside man’s schedules and time tables more people would get a chance to get intimate with God. He would draw them in. As it is most ‘Christians’ only get a taste or only get to 'brush up against' what it's like to be intimate with God as they rush by on their predetermined route.
Remember ‘intimacy’ is “a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with, a close association with, detailed knowledge, deep understanding of…” In this context James 4:8 could read, “…get intimate with God and He will get intimate with you…”
God wants intimacy. We will not achieve that kind of relationship with God when (WE) not (HE) is in control of our services. The congregation will only get a wiff of His Presence as it blows on the wind
of the Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Conversely where there is freedom in our meetings there the Spirit of the Lord will be.
Yes intimacy isn't free. It will cost us our walls, the faces we put on, the control we have and the flesh we permit in our relationship with God. The question is, "How bad do we want it and are we willing to pay the
price?" We would all say we want it but honestly where are our hearts when our lips are mouthing the words? Ultimately it cost the Father His only Son to move us into the position to call us friends that have
received Him. If we want to move closer and more intimate in our relationship with God there is a price that has to be paid. To reach a place different from the place we have been walking with God for so long we are probably going to have to do something differently.
We have to pray about it and consider what we want more; our position with 'man' or a closer more intimate position with 'God'. We then have to take steps of faith and move on what He shows us. All this done in faith trusting God for the results.
Hey if you are really serious about drawing 'closer' to God check out one of our "Saturation Services". You can go to the "Ministries" link and find out what those are all about. Of course for each of us it's a personal journey finding that place of intimacy with God. The thing that I believe greives the heart of God is that many of us feel that we have arrived and don't seek anymore of God in our lives when the sad truth is that we have not even began the journey drawing closer to Him. There is so much more! It's all about 'Hunger', how hungry are we? A hunger on earth creates an openness in heaven. When we get in touch with our hunger for God we are on our way to His Presence.
Always hungry for more, Pastor Danny
