Sunday 10:10:10

Two weeks ago: Laodiceans were rich and did not know their need for God. They became lukewarm in their faith. Jesus told them “come to me for His true riches, His white clothes to cover their shameful state, and salve for their eyes so they could see their true spiritual condition.” Last week: He is the treasure in the field. He is the pearl of great value. If we lose everything, but gain Christ, we are truly blessed. Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. God must be pursued. Jeremiah 2:11-13 11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. 12 Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the LORD. 13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. God is forsaken (left behind, abandoned, deserted). It’s appalling, horrifying. He is the Glory of Israel, the spring of living water. People in the OT had idols, I don’t have them. The problem is we’ve all forsaken God. Not back in our teens, THIS WEEK. We all look for fulfillment and significance and having our needs met in other places besides God. “That to which you heart clings is your god.” – Martin Luther God will not take second place to anything. Not your pursuit of wealth, not your busy life, not anything. The Bible says 10 times that God is a jealous God or that His people made him jealous. Exodus 34:14 14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. You will never know the fullness of God without pursuing Him. You will never know the fullness of his peace, hope, grace, help, direction, purpose, without pursuing him. But if you pursue Him, He’ll come near to you. James 4:8 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Christianity is not a passive faith. It is active. It is leaving the past behind, pressing on, moving forward, advancing, maturing faith. Following Christ is a battle. On one side, your sinful nature is looking anywhere else but to God for your deep needs of significance, security, purpose, fulfillment and joy in your life. On the other side, you are feeding your soul with knowledge of God, meditating on His goodness, and His word. Praying to God to bring transformation of our minds and hearts to love Him more. Kindling. When you pray – not to just to ask God for what you want – but in an attempt to commune with the Lord. When you read the scriptures – not just to check it off your list – but in hope that the Lord will use it to transform your heart and mind. When you meditate on His word and His goodness. When you pray throughout the day for the Lord to use you and be glorified in your life. The kindling is not the goal. It is the means. The goal is to draw near to Christ so that He might draw near to us and ignite in us a changed heart and mind to love Him more, to follow Him better. The goal is that we might look to Him more and more as our great reward.