Why Seek God?

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(No Transcript)
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Why Seek God?

• Questions for seekers

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• Eph. 13- every spiritual blessing in Christ
• Eph. 14- chosen in Him
• Eph. 15- predestined to adoption through JC
• Eph. 17- redemption through His blood
• Eph. 19- made know the mystery
• Eph. 111- obtained an inheritance
• Eph. 113- sealed in Christ with Holy Spirit
• Contrasted with
• remember that you were at that time separated
  from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of
  Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,
  having no hope and without God in the world.
  (Ephesians 212 ESV)

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• And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in
  which you once walked, following the course of
  this world, following the prince of the power of
  the air, the spirit that is now at work in the
  sons of disobedienceamong whom we all once lived
  in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the
  desires of the body and the mind, and were by
  nature children of wrath, like the rest of
  mankind. (Ephesians
  21-3 ESV)

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• And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in
  which you once walked, following the course of
  this world, following the prince of the power of
  the air, the spirit that is now at work in the
  sons of disobedienceamong whom we all once lived
  in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the
  desires of the body and the mind, and were by
  nature children of wrath, like the rest of
  mankind. (Ephesians
  21-3 ESV)

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• And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in
  which you once walked, following the course of
  this world, following the prince of the power of
  the air, the spirit that is now at work in the
  sons of disobedienceamong whom we all once lived
  in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the
  desires of the body and the mind, and were by
  nature children of wrath, like the rest of
  mankind. (Ephesians
  21-3 ESV)

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• For although they knew God, they did not honor
  him as God or give thanks to him, but they became
  futile in their thinking, and their foolish
  hearts were darkened. (Romans 121 ESV)
• Starts with refusing to honor God or give Him
  thanks

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• Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and
  exchanged the glory of the immortal God for
  images resembling mortal man and birds and
  animals and creeping things. (Romans
  122-23 ESV)
• Exchanged Creators glory for creation

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• And since they did not see fit to acknowledge
  God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do
  what ought not to be done. They were filled with
  all manner of unrighteousness, evil,
  covetousness, malice. They are full of envy,
  murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are
  gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent,
  haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient
  to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless,
  ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree
  that those who practice such things deserve to
  die, they not only do them but give approval to
  those who practice them. (Romans 128-32 ESV)

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• Failing to honor God or Give thanks
• Honoring creation rather than Creator
• Serving self
• Practicing/approving of every form of sin

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Who would be guilty?

• for all have sinned and fall short of the glory
  of God, (Romans 323 ESV)
• If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
  and the truth is not in us. (1 John 18 ESV)
• If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar,
  and his word is not in us. (1 John 110 ESV)
• We ALL would be

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So, where do I want to be?

• Now the works of the flesh are evident sexual
  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry,
  sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger,
  rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy,
  drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I
  warn you, as I warned you before, that those who
  do such things will not inherit the kingdom of
  God. (Galatians 519-21 ESV)

NOT HERE
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So, where do I want to be?

• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
  patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
  gentleness, self-control against such things
  there is no law. And those who belong to Christ
  Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions
  and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us
  also keep in step with the Spirit.
  (Galatians 522-25 ESV)

THIS IS MORE LIKE IT
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So, where do I want to be?

• Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from
  this body of death? Thanks be to God through
  Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve
  the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I
  serve the law of sin. There is therefore now no
  condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
  (Romans 724-81, ESV)

I WANT TO BE IN CHRIST
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So, where do I want to be?

• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
  Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every
  spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
  (Ephesians 13 ESV)
• Being born again, chosen, adopted, heirs with
  Christ, etc., etc.

Where spiritual blessings are
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So, where do I want to be?

• For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
  and his ears are open to their prayer. But the
  face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
  (1 Peter 312 ESV)

Where prayers are heard by the Lord
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So, where do I want to be?

• And to which of the angels has he ever said, Sit
  at my right hand until I make your enemies a
  footstool for your feet? Are they not all
  ministering spirits sent out to serve for the
  sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
  (Hebrews 112-14 ESV)

Where angels are ministering/serving
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So, where do I want to be?

• No temptation has overtaken you that is not
  common to man. God is faithful, and he will not
  let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with
  the temptation he will also provide the way of
  escape, that you may be able to endure it.
  (1 Corinthians 1013 ESV)

Where Im protected from overcoming power
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So, How do I get there?

• I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in
  himself, that it is not in man who walks to
  direct his steps. (Jeremiah 1023 ESV)
• The heart is deceitful above all things, and
  desperately sick who can understand it?
  (Jeremiah 179 ESV)
• There is a way that seems right to a man, but its
  end is the way to death. (Proverbs 1412 ESV)

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So, How do I get there?

• But we ought always to give thanks to God for
  you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God
  chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through
  sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the
  truth. (2 Thessalonians 213 ESV)
• i.e., through hearing the Spirits word and belief
  in the truth

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So, How do I get there?

• To this he called you through our gospel, so that
  you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus
  Christ. (2 Thessalonians
  214 ESV)
• You, we, everyone is called through the gospel,
  the truth

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So, How do I get there?

• So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the
  traditions that you were taught by us, either by
  our spoken word or by our letter.
  (2 Thessalonians 215 ESV)
• We are called to stand firm and hold to apostolic
  traditions as they were taught

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So, How do I get there?

• Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth,
  and the life. No one comes to the Father except
  through me. (John 146 ESV)
• Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life
  whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life,
  but the wrath of God remains on him.
  (John 336 ESV)