Alone With the Almighty, Part 8b

Let's pray together. Father we thank you so much for the truth realizing the power of your word and how you have designed it to accomplish all that you have designed it to do. We ask Lord today as we conclude our time in this series alone with the Almighty that our hearts would see the results of that time with you as expressing your word that we might be motivated to spend more time alone with our King. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. What we've tried to proclaim to you over the last seven weeks going on now our eighth week of this short series along with the Almighty.

We'll conclude it today but I hope that it has meant a lot to you. It's been a lot to me and my own personal study and my own preparation. I trust that God has used his word to speak to you as well. Many of you have spoken to me by way of telephone or letter or even by personal conversation letting me know different parts of the series that have spoken directly to you how God has used them in your life and we praise the Lord for that and we trust that when this is all over you'll be able to pick up the tape series and use it to review over and over again or maybe give it to somebody who needs to know what it means to spend time alone with the Almighty.

As we conclude today we've already looked at the essence of my time with God. We've looked at the relevance of my time with God and now we're going to look at the consequences of my time with God.

What happens when I spend time with God and I want to give you just seven basic principles this morning as we conclude our time and so I'll give you seven benefits, seven consequences that come about in your life as a result of your time alone with the Almighty. Number one is this, the certainty of transformation.

When we look into the Word of God, God's Spirit reveals to us God and the Bible tells us there is the certainty of transformation. That tells me that if you are alone with the Almighty your life's going to be transformed. So I want to let you know that if you are alone with the Almighty there is the certainty of transformation. If you want your life to be changed you be alone with God. If you want your life just to remain as it is, God forbid, then don't spend time with God. But if you want your life to be metamorphosized then you spend time with God and the scripture guarantees the certainty of transformation.

God will change your life. There's something about the Word of God that causes you to walk courageously, that causes you to worship with your whole heart, that causes you to wake expectantly for the return of Jesus Christ. Because the certainty of transformation is a guaranteed reality to all those who are alone with the Almighty. Number two, victory over temptation.

First Peter 1.22 says that our souls are purified in obedience to the truth. If you are alone with the Almighty, spending time with God, enhancing your relationship with Him, God is pleased. If God is pleased, Satan is not. Therefore Satan will bring every kind of temptation into your life that he possibly can. In order for you to gain victory over that temptation you need to be alone with the Almighty. As we've talked about the whole process of memorization and meditation and mortification, that you might be able to manifest the life of Christ, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The Word of God is used to tackle every specific temptation that comes your way. James 4.7, resist the devil and he will flee. Resist him, he'll flee. How do you resist him? With the sword of the Spirit, with the belt of truth. Know the Word of God. Alone with the Almighty gives you victory over temptation, gives you the certainty of transformation. And number three, gives you the beauty of manifestation.

God says, I want to disclose myself to you. If you hear my words and you keep my commandments, I guarantee you this one fact, that I will manifest myself to you. I will disclose my hidden presence to you and you will see me like no one else has ever seen me. There is no excuse for us not to see Jesus Christ in the pages of the scriptures. To come to a full understanding of who He is and what He wants to do in our lives. That's why you are alone with the Almighty. The beauty of manifestation, there is nothing more beautiful than Jesus Christ manifesting Himself to you in His Word.

My alone time with the Almighty gives me the certainty of transformation, gives me the victory over temptation, gives me the beauty of manifestation. And number four, gives me the quality in evangelization. Paul talks about the quality of evangelization. What makes our message so believable is because we have a life that is so credible. And when you have a life that is so credible, then what happens is that people tend to believe what you say. And Paul says to Timothy, when there's equality between conduct, character, and creed, you will ensure salvation for yourself and for those who hear you.

You will persevere in the truth. And perseverance is the genuine mark of true Christianity. John 8 31, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you are truly my disciples. You are truly one of mine. And not only will you persevere, but those who hear your message, those who see your life, they will become saved as well. The quality of evangelization. Number five, the probability of reproduction. 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul says this in verse number 10, but you, Timothy, follow my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra.

What persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me, and indeed all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and apostles will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, Timothy, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

Chapter 4 verse number 1, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing in His kingdom, preach the word, be ready in season, and of season reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. Timothy, listen, you need to understand that if you follow my teaching, if you follow my life, if you live in congruence to what you have learned, you have known the sacred writings that give you wisdom toward salvation, and those writings are inspired by God.

They're profitable for all things, that you may be thoroughly equipped, so therefore you preach the word, Timothy. Why? Because that life needs to be reproduced in someone else. That's why in Second Timothy 2, Paul says that we are to teach faithful men, who in turn will be able to entrust these teachings to others also.

Why? Because our life needs to be reproduced. Listen, a life that spends alone time with the Almighty needs to be reproduced in someone else's life, that they might be alone with the Almighty. Why? Because God will honor an obedient life, and God will bless an obedient life, and God will use your life to impact other people's lives. The Apostle Paul was such a man of God that the people he came in contact with, their lives were changed. Their lives were enthusiastic about serving the Lord God. Why?

Because his life was so in tune with God. They wanted that kind of life. They wanted more of that, so they would glean on to that man to understand him. Number one, the certainty of transformation.

Number two, victory over temptation. Number three, the beauty of manifestation. Number four, the quality of evangelization. Number five, the probability of reproduction. Number six, mark it carefully, the reality of satisfaction. The reality of satisfaction. Psalm 119, verse number one, how blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart. Who's the blessed man? The blessed man is the one who seeks God with all his heart. I don't know anybody who doesn't want to be satisfied. I don't know anybody who doesn't want to be satisfied. Everybody wants satisfaction at the deepest part of their soul. A few short weeks, we're going to be going to Israel. And, you know, I don't go very many places. The farthest north I've been in California is San Luis Obispo.

I don't go anywhere, you know, but I love going to Israel. And I've always said that if I ever left Christ's community church, it would be for one reason, that would be to start a church in God's land, the land of Israel. The land that's going to last forever until the new heaven and new earth. The land in which Jesus Christ Himself will one day return and rule in a rain front. But when we go to the Mount, that sermon, where the sermon was given in Matthew chapter five, the Mount of Beatitudes, we were there a year ago, it just finished raining.

The sun was beginning to break through the clouds. And as the grass was wet with the rain and the sunlight would come down upon it, it would glisten. It would glisten over the Sea of Galilee. Had the wonderful opportunity to preach on Matthews five, six, and seven in 27 short minutes. An amazing thing to get through three chapters in 27 minutes. But I drew the people to this one key fact, that in Matthew chapter four, the Bible says that everybody was paralyzed, everybody who was blind, everybody who was lame, everybody who needed some healing because they had some disease were coming to Jesus.

Everybody was. They'd be coming from all the little towns and as you, as you sail on the Sea of Galilee and in the evening, you can see all the lights all around the hillside there. It's an amazing thing. And these people would all come to Jesus because He was the great healer. And He healed them all. He healed them all. I mean, most of them just weren't even believers. Most of them had no faith. That's why faith is not a prerequisite to healing, as the TV preachers say. Why? Because most of the people didn't even know who Jesus was.

They just came to Him because He was a miracle worker. He was healing all these people. And that's the context of Matthew five, six, and seven. He comes and He sits down on this mount, beautiful mount overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Huge amphitheater kind of thing where He would just sit there and begin to speak. And He would be able to speak in such a way that if you're there, you hear this, that His voice would just like echo throughout that amphitheater. And hundreds, literally thousands of people would be able to hear Him speak the words of God because He is God.

It's like He said, you know, I am so glad that you're healed. I am so glad that those of you who are blind can now see. I'm so glad that those of you with cancerous tumors have now been healed. I am so glad that those of you who are lame can now walk again. I am so glad that those of you who were so physically disabled are now able to be well. I'm happy for you, but I will let you know something. That's not going to satisfy you. You see, Jesus knew that. Why? Because if you're healed physically, you're not going to be satisfied internally.

We think that if we can just get all of our physical ailments, ailments solved, all those things externally, if we can just get them all in the right place, oh, we'll be satisfied. We'll be happy and everything will be just as, as peachy as possible. But Jesus says, I just want you to know something.

You're happy now. You're excited that you can walk and see and speak, and I'm happy for you. But if you want your life to truly be blessed, He says, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for those are the ones who receive comfort. And then He says, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be what? Satisfied. It was as clear as the blue sky and the sun rays shining on the sea of Galilee, sparkling, glistening, so all could see.

If you want true satisfaction, you've got to hunger, you've got to thirst for righteousness. And those who spend alone time with the Almighty are those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness. They want to be like Him. And Christ says, if you do, I promise you one thing, you will not receive, no matter how big your pay raise, no matter how better your marriage, no matter how nice your house, no matter how wonderful your physical life, if you hunger and thirst for me, you will be satisfied.

And if you don't, you will be totally empty, empty. And that was the message. That's how He began His message, His first sermon, His first public sermon that's recorded in the scriptures.

This is true satisfaction, hunger and thirst for my righteousness. This is the reality. This is truth. This is what you need, and this is what you're missing, despite all your physical accomplishments that I have allowed you to receive. One author recorded these words, I thought were very interesting. Spiritual blissfulness belongs to the holy. If you are unhappy, it is because you are unholy. Think about that. Spiritual blissfulness belongs to the holy. If you are unhappy, it's because you are unholy.

What an amazing statement. Listen to Psalm 107 verse number nine, for He satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Are you longing for God? You hungry for God? He'll fill it with goodness. Psalm 34 verse number 10, they that seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Not one. Jeremiah 31 14, my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, says the Lord. And God is so good, and He wants to satisfy you with His goodness. And the remarkable thing about Matthew 5 verse number 6 is that the text literally reads this way, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they and they only shall be satisfied yet unsatisfied.

Say, well how can that be? How can you be satisfied yet unsatisfied? Because when you are satisfied with God and His goodness, you never have enough, and you want more. It's like, it's like those, those chewy chocolate chip cookies with nuts in them. It's like when you, when you, when you get them, they're my favorite kind of chocolate chip cookie, and, and when you get them, you want to eat them, and you eat them, you get filled up with them. I can eat 10, 20, 30 of them babies at a time, and just fill my stomach up, and I am so satisfied but unsatisfied, because I want more.

I just can't take any more in, so I got to wait an hour. When an hour is over, I go back and get some more, because I want more. And when you are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, you get so filled up with Christ, you get so satisfied with Him, you realize that there's more satisfaction to give, so you go after Him even the more. You seek Him with a more fervent spirit, with a more eagerness in your life, because you just want more of Him. You can't get enough of Him. So you're satisfied, yet you're unsatisfied, because as the 17, verse number 15, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.

My ultimate satisfaction will come when one day I finally awake, and see you face to face, and I'm just like you, then I'll fully be satisfied.

Alone time with the Almighty, the reality of satisfaction. I can't think of anything greater than that, except for point number seven, and that is the finality of glorification. The finality of glorification, that the ultimate end of my time with God is for one purpose and one purpose only, that He would be glorified in and through my life. That's it. Over in John 17, John chapter 17, verse number 22, it says, and the glory which thou has given me, I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one.

Christ says, I have given my glory to them. The essence of who I am, my nature, my attributes, I have placed in my people. As Christ was a manifestation of God upon earth, so now we become the manifestation of Christ upon this earth. That people will be able to see God in all of His glory, and all of His attributes. The essence of God is seen through a life of obedience by His children, who honor Him, and live for Him, and seek to put Him on display, and honor His name. Christ said in verse number 25 of John 17, O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou didst sent Me, and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known, that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them.

I have made Thy name known, and they know it. They know it, and God says, now I have given that glory, so that Your name will be known in future generations, because they seek to put Me on display.

And let me tell you something, when you are alone with the Almighty, the final and most glorious thing in all the world is that Jesus Christ Himself is glorified in and through your life, because He is put on display.

And that's what it's all about. That somehow people would see Jesus Christ reigning supreme in your life. Over in Colossians chapter 3, it says in verse number 15, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Paul says, you were once enemies of God, but now that you've been justified by faith, peace reigns supreme in your life. Because it does, let that be the governing factor in all your decisions. So, let the peace of Christ, because now you're at peace with Him, and you live according to His nature and His glory, let His decisions be your decisions.

And then it says, and let the Word of Christ dwell within you. If the peace of Christ is to rule your life, then the Word of Christ is to reign supreme in your life. And then He says in verse number 17, and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. If the peace of Christ rules and the Word of Christ reigns, then the name of Christ is reflected in all that you do. And that's what we're about, giving glory to Almighty God. You know, I'm afraid that we really like the applause of man more than the approval of God.

And whenever that happens, God's not going to be glorified or put on display through our lives. We got to ask ourselves, has God been displayed today through my life? Has God's name been honored in my life? The reason we have spent the first part of this year on these texts is because we really want Jesus Christ to be glorified in you.

I want Jesus Christ to be glorified in me. For that to happen, I need to be alone with Him, alone with Him, cultivating that relationship with Him, that somehow as Jesus Christ begins to work in my life and change me internally, externally, people see God and not me. And that is why we need to be alone with the Almighty. Have you seen God? Have you encountered the living God? Do you know who He is and what He's about? That's what the Scriptures teach. He says, I promise, I'm going to disclose my hidden presence to you.

Same word used in Matthew 27 of those people who were dead. And upon the resurrection of Christ, many people were raised from the dead and their presence, their hidden presence was now disclosed to the world. Christ says, I want you to see me.

Do you see Him? Not with the physical eye, with the spiritual eye. The pure in heart are guaranteed the reality of seeing God. Let's pray. Father, we thank You for today. We thank You, Lord, that we could be with You today, examining Your words, that we might somehow express Your life. We ask, Lord, that all of us would adhere to the principles and precepts of Your Word. And that, Lord, we realize that spending time with You is more important than anything in the world. That You'll transform our lives.

You'll transform us into what You want us to be. And ultimately, we'll be satisfied. And finally, You'll be glorified.

And Lord, those who spent a long time with You, that's our heart's desire. We really want You on display. We pray these things in Jesus' glorious name. Amen.