Getting Close to the Lord

James 4

Intro: Do we want to be closer to God. Do we want to live more godly? Do we want to be where He wants us with our lives? Are we happy with the status quo? Do we want more from life than everyday living?

 James 4 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? ²Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. ³Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. ⁴Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. ⁵Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? ⁶But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. ⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ⁹Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

¹¹Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. ¹²There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? ¹³Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: ¹⁴Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. ¹⁵For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. ¹⁶But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. ¹⁷Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Getting Close to the Lord - page 2

First let us look at some …

Facts and observations:

We are as close as we want to be. (Draw nigh)

We stay as close as we want to stay.

We can get closer!!!

We are meant to be closer (God’s desire for us).

We can gain great gladness if we move towards Him and His ways.

Examples of ____ people who got close to God and how it affected their lives

We need to also understand there are…

Steps involved in getting closer (it does not just happen)

Sense the need for closeness.

Seek out closeness. (We can't expect it to sneak up on us)

Search out harmful detours in your life that hamper your walk

Savor closeness.(you must like it)

Snuff out interfering items that are embedded in your life.

Sever harmful ties with the world that will haunt our life. 

Getting Close to the Lord - page 3

We need to also deal with…

Considerations about getting closer:

There may be an expense involved!…are you willing to pay the cost?

There may be more responsibility (to whom much is given - or is it already required of us/you?)

Luke 12:48 …For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Many may choose to talk or bad-mouth you for your obedience. - Just remember they hated Christ first!

Many may choose to ignore your service. Are we in this for lip service? Or pat on the backs?

Many may choose to be jealous of your closeness (and seek closeness too)

Closeness begets closeness - where do you stop????????

Conclusion: We must want to get closer for God's sake. Not for financial gain, not to please Bro. Gary, Dear Old Mom, etc. We must be determined to do this (even) in the face of opposition or discouragement. We must do this out of a selfless desire. We must do this for others.

Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 111002am first used 083098am