Developing Intimacy with Jesus​

Transcript

1. Developing Intimacy with Jesus Practical Steps
2. Review from Last Week... • What do you remember about 'Preparing for the End Times in the Fellowship of Suffering'? What stood out to you or impacted you? • What is the KEY we talked about last week? • Did you use any of the methods we discussed this week? How was your experience? (You can also share about any other experiences you've had connecting with Jesus this past week).
3. How do I develop intimacy with Jesus? (Especially when I’m in pain ) • Set time aside for conversation with Him! • Use music! • Bring your emotions to Him honestly- practice lament. • Give thanks for every good gift. • Find yourself in the Psalms.
4. Benevolent Detachment 1 Peter 5:7- God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to Him! Detachment = letting go / Benevolent = kind, merciful, gracious Be kind to your own soul by letting go of all that weighs it down! "Jesus, I give everyone and everything to you!"
5. Affective Contemplation Hebrews 13:8- Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today and forever! Therefore, the way He interacted with people in the Gospels is the way He would interact with you! Asking help from Holy Spirit, use your imagination- Put yourself into the story!
6. Let's Practice! Mark 10:46-52 Jesus and his disciples went to Jericho. And as they were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting beside the road. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!” They called out to the blind man and said, “Don't be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!” Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.” At once the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus.
7. Focus on His Beauty in the Word!
8. Revelation 1 1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. 4John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
9. Revelation 1 9I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” 12Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the sevenlampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15His feetwere like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;16He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
10. Descriptions of Jesus in Revelation 1: • Jesus: Savior from Satan and our sin and sickness • Christ: He is the anointed of God, the long-awaited Messiah • The faithful witness: He represented the Father perfectly. He spoke the truth regardless of what it cost Him. • Coming with clouds: He intervenes dramatically and personally to deliver us. • Son of Man: The God-Man who rules all nations as the King of kings seen in Dan. 7:13-14 • Alpha and Omega: Jesus is fully God with absolute completeness in wisdom and love. He is eternal. Everything begins and ends in Him.
11. Descriptions of Jesus in Revelation 1: • The First and the Last: Jesus is fully man and is the first to be raised from the dead, winning our resurrection. • Voice like a trumpet: He is the witness who faithfully warns the people of coming judgment, calls armies to war and people to move. • Voice as the sound of many waters: His voice is powerful and impacts creation (Genesis 1 & Psalm 29) • Garment down to His feet & girded with golden band: He is our sympathetic High Priest who made a way to God and intercedes for us. • Head and hair white like wool: Jesus is eternally preexistent, with pure and perfect wisdom
12. Descriptions of Jesus in Revelation 1: • Eyes like a flame of fire: His knowledge penetrates all things as fire penetrates metal. He imparts holy love and removes all that hinders love in us. He imparts love and holiness. • Feet like fine brass: His ways are holy and His judgments remove all that hinders love • Sharp two-edged sword in His mouth: He has zeal to fight for us against all that opposes us and He can do it with a word. • Countenance like the sun: He exhilarates His Church with His glory. • Holding the 7 stars in His right hand: Jesus promises to anoint, direct and protect His people. He carries His messengers in His hand. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.
13. Descriptions of Jesus in Revelation 1: • Walks in the midst of the 7 golden lampstands: He is deeply involved with us. He walks with us aware of our needs, frailty and pressures. • He who lives: He came back to life. He has power over death and gives eternal life. • Keys of the kingdom: He has authority over Death and the key of David to establish the Kingdom. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.