Created for Intimate Relationship With Your Creator - David Platt

0:25 let me invite you to open to the very first chapter, Genesis chapter 1. I love Passion City Church. I love Louis and Shelley and Brad and Brittany. I love so many brothers and sisters sitting around this room. We've had a shaping influence in my life, and it's always an honor to be here. I've got to tell you a quick story. The first time, I don't know if you remember this, Louis, the first time I ever preached at a conference at John Piper's church, Louis was also there. And I was so intimidated by both of these brothers. I mean, you just got to understand, like, 1998, hearing both of these brothers add passion just flipped my life totally upside down. And so I'm at this conference. First time I've been with John Piper on his kind of home turf. And Louie's there.

1:17 And so I'm so nervous. Louie was up Friday night. And I was up Saturday morning. And I'd been praying about where to go in God's word. And I believed God was putting three texts on my heart that were going to guide what I was supposed to say. So the three texts were Isaiah 6, Psalm 148, and Romans 1. So I'd worked on this sermon that was incorporating all three of those texts. So I'm sitting there on Friday night, and Louis starts talking. He says, turn to Isaiah 6. And I'm like, oh, no. Oh, no. He's like, he's about to preach my sermon. And then he says, now let's go to Psalm 148. I was like, you're kidding. Like, this is my notes. And I'm starting to panic, thinking he's taking my whole sermon. and then at the end he's like, let's go one more place. He said, let's go to Romans chapter one. And all of a sudden my total panic turned to total peace because I realized that was no coincidence. Like what are the chances? God clearly wanted us to be in those texts on that weekend. So I'm headed over here this afternoon and I've been praying about where to go tonight and Genesis chapter one through three has been strong on my mind and heart. And I've heard that Louie's going to be preaching from Psalms. So I'm like, okay, we're good. On the way over here, I'm listening to Louie's sermon. He says, let's go to Genesis three. And I just am like, are you serious? He's doing it again. But then I thought, no, no, God is doing it again. And I really believe there's a clear word he's speaking today in a way that only he can. So the main message I want to communicate tonight, Louis almost said verbatim if you were here this morning, so I don't think you got my notes or were taking my stuff, but that's the beauty. It's not my stuff. It's not your stuff. It's his stuff. And so I really believe God is speaking. Well, I trust that every time we

3:23 open this word, but in a particular way, I just want to invite you to lean in real close tonight. And I'll go and give you a heads up. We're going to be in a lot of different parts of God's word tonight. So feel free to follow along on the screen or turn to different places in your Bible. If you can keep up, take notes. It's going to get pretty thick at points, but I promise if you will just hang with me, it'll be worth it in the end. So let me start by putting up here on the screen, the main message I want to deliver to you from God tonight. So here it is. You were created for intimate relationship with your creator. Don't settle for anything less than this. In the next few minutes, I want to show you that regardless of who you are, how young, old you are, whether you've gone to church your whole life, or this is your first time in church tonight, you, right where you are sitting right now, were created for intimate relationship with your creator. And I want to challenge you right where you're sitting tonight not to settle for anything less than intimate relationship with your creator. This statement may sound basic or even obvious, but in a room this size, I do not assume that all of you are experiencing this.

4:44 In fact, I know there is an adversary who does not want you to experience intimacy with your creator. And he's using all kinds of bad things to keep you from this and good things to keep you from this. So as an example of the latter, there was a season in my life when the church I was pastoring was growing. I'd written a book that a lot of people were reading. I was getting invited to preach in all kinds of different places. But my time alone with God during that season was inconsistent at best. The reality is non-existent most days. And I would study the Bible to preach a sermon, but I would not open God's word just to know God. And I knew how to turn on a public prayer just like that. But rarely was I getting alone in a room, closing the door, and just being with my father with nobody else looking.

5:43 And that frightens me, how successful I could be in ministry, in others' eyes and in my own eyes, and do it totally apart from intimacy with God. So I don't assume any church leaders are experiencing this or anybody else. So if I could just ask you from the start, right where you're sitting, are you experiencing intimacy with God on a daily basis in your life right now? Just let that question soak in.

6:20 And if the answer to that question is no in any way, if you feel distant from God, maybe in a season like I just mentioned in my life, or if you just feel busy with life or burdened by any number of bad things or good things that may be distracting you from intimacy with God. If that's you, I just want to encourage you to listen in the next few minutes to what God in his love for you is saying to you. And if you are experiencing intimacy with God on a daily basis in your life right now, than just let the next few minutes in God's word just draw you deeper. So let me pray toward that end. Will you bow your heads with me? Oh God, I... I love you.

7:14 I love your word. and I so want the people in front of me right now to see how much you love them and how they are made for you. So please take your word by the power of your spirit and do over the next few minutes what only you can do and draw us into deeper intimacy with you. when we leave this place than we are right now. We pray this in Jesus' name, in the name of the one who makes all this possible. Amen. All right, so Genesis 1 and 2 tell us the story of how we were created. And I don't have time to read every verse in these chapters, so I'll just read a few different parts. Let me start with the first verse of the Bible. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

8:11 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light, and there was light. So thus begins creation as God speaks, and he forms light and darkness. And then the sun and moon and stars, the skies, the land, water, fish, birds, animals. And then after all that, jump to verse 26. We read, then God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. Now turn over to Genesis chapter 2.

9:04 So starting in verse 5, we see a parallel account of how God created man.

9:34 Eden in the east. And there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground, the Lord God made to spring up every tree that's pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden, which by the way, Eden means delight. So this garden of delight, a river flowed out of it to water the garden. And there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is the Pishon is the one that flowed from the whole land of Havilah where there is gold. The gold of that land is good. Delium and onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It's the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris which flows east of Assyria. Excuse me. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and to keep it. So there is so much here and it is stunning.

10:33 God just described the crown jewel of creation. And do you realize what it is? It's us. It's all of us. It's you and me. But I want you to see why I'm saying you were created for intimate relationship with your creator. So just see this picture of closeness between man and woman and God. So right before what we read in Genesis 1 26, look at how all these other creatures were created according to their kinds. Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds. Livestock and creeping things and the beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds. Livestock according to their kinds. Everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good, but with humans, the language is totally different. There's no other kind like them. God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. And this word image was used in that day. This is so good to describe how images or idols would represent gods or kings in such a way that we read, we won't turn there, but 1 Kings chapter 11, or sorry, 2 Kings chapter 11, verse 18, to worship an image was to worship that God. Or Daniel chapter 3, we read about King Nebuchadnezzar setting up an image, and to bow down to that image was to bow down to him as king.

12:09 Now, obviously, God's not saying we're little gods, but God is saying we are closely linked to him in such a way that to honor another human being is to bring honor to God himself, which is why we honor everyone. Friends, enemies, those in your camp, those not in your camp. Every ruler in the country, regardless of what party they're in, 1 Peter chapter two, honor everyone, period. Honor everyone, everyone, as an image bearer of God himself. now God also here didn't just say the let there be or let the earth bring forth instead he said let us make by the way a reference to the trinitarian nature of God here but it's personal let us make man in our image after our likeness and then did you notice in Genesis 2 6 how the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living creature.

13:13 Like how close and intimate is that? God breathing life into man's nostrils, sharing breath with man. And then if you'll notice, the first thing God does after that is God blesses them in verse 28 and he gives them everything in creation. He uses that word twice. I've given you all these things. And then verse 31 says, God saw everything that he had made. And up until this point, God saw all that he made and it was good. On this day, God saw everything that he had made and behold, it was what? It was really, really, really good. This picture of people created for intimacy with the creator, unlike anything else in all creation. Just let this soak in. The God who spoke the whole world into being, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipresent, eternal, infinitely holy, infinitely righteous, infinitely worthy, sovereign, sustainer, and creator of everything has formed you right where you are sitting for personal, intimate relationship with him. That's awesome. Now, don't use that word lightly.

14:28 In Genesis chapter 1 and 2 show us that man and woman experience this intimate relationship with God until they sin, until they decide that they know better than God what is best for their lives. And they lose this intimacy with him. So jump to Genesis 3, verse 24, where Louis was this morning, where he read that God drove out the man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. And I want you to circle this word placed. So let's do a little Hebrew. Let's go to the brew for a minute. Shekan here is the Hebrew word that means to dwell.

15:21 So instead of man and woman dwelling with God like they did in the Garden of Eden, God causes these cherubim, which are angels, to dwell at this spot. So they're flanking both sides of the entrance to the Garden of Eden on the east, like we talked about today, in a way that keeps Adam and Eve from the tree of life. But what's interesting is, so when you get to the next book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, God says, I want to restore you to intimacy with me. And I'm gonna set up a picture of my dwelling and intimacy with you in a place called the tabernacle, which is basically like a portable temple. And listen to the language God uses. He says in Exodus 25, verse eight, and let them make me a sanctuary that I may what?

16:16 Dwell in their midst. You'll never guess what Hebrew word that is. Shekan. It's the same word that's used in Genesis chapter three, verse 24. And then God says, so I'm going to dwell with you in this sanctuary, this tabernacle. And then he says, exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, this place where my presence is going to dwell in your midst and all of its furniture, so you shall make it. And you know, what's fascinating is that when you start looking at what this tabernacle looks like, it looks a lot like the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1 and 2. It's like a little Eden. And I wish I had time to turn to all these places with you, but I don't. So I'll just give you a list of parallels between Eden and the tabernacle. You can go back to and look at later if you want. So in Genesis chapter 1, seven times we read, and God said, seven creative acts. And after the seventh time we read that, God rests on the Sabbath. And then in the tabernacle from Exodus chapter 25 to 31, exactly seven times we read, the Lord said. And after the seventh time we read that, immediately the Lord talks about the Sabbath. Then in Genesis chapter 3, verse 8, we read about how God was walking in the Garden of Eden. And in Leviticus chapter 26, verse 11 and 12, we see the exact same language in the Hebrew describing how God is walking among his people through the tabernacle. Then we read in Genesis chapter 2 verse 10 through 12 how Eden is filled with gold, delium, and onyx stone. And we see all those in the tabernacle. And this delium is really interesting here because you might say, well, those are just common things. But no, delium is only mentioned one other time in the entire Old Testament after Eden. And it's when it's compared to manna. And the tabernacle has a jar of manna right in the middle of it. That's all in Exodus 16, 33 and Numbers chapter 11, verse 7. Then Eden has a tree of life right in the center

18:24 of it. And the tabernacle has a menorah or a lampstand in it, Exodus chapter 25, verse 31 through 40, that's shaped and described exactly like a tree with branches and blossoms and flowers. The lampstand basically makes the inside of the tabernacle look like a garden. Then, we talked about this this morning, the entrance to Eden was on the eastern side, Genesis chapter 3, verse 24, and you would also enter the tabernacle from the east. And then I'll show you this one. Remember the cherubim, those angels who were flanking the entrance to Eden, keeping Adam and Eve from the tree of life? Well, in the center of the tabernacle, you have what's called the mercy seat, which symbolizes God sitting among his people. And look what's flanking both sides of the mercy seat. Exodus 25, verse 18.

19:18 You shall make two cherubim of gold, of hammered work you shall make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end and one cherub on the other end. So in both places, you have cherubim guarding the way to the presence of God. So don't miss this. When God gave specific instructions for the tabernacle, which sometimes we read that part of the Bible, we're like, why this? Why is this that important? God was very intentionally giving his people a picture of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1 and 2, of the place he originally designed for humanity to dwell with him. and the point in all this was God was intentionally saying I made you to experience closeness with me and I want this for you in fact look at how Adam is described in the garden in the last verse we read in Genesis chapter 2 verse 15 the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and to keep it this is so good those two words that are translated work and keep are only used by Moses, who's writing this, in one other way. And that's when he describes the responsibility of the priests who worked in the tabernacle. Numbers 18, 7 is an example. And you and your sons, talking about the priests, shall guard your priesthood for all the concerns of the altar and that's within the veil, and you shall serve. So the word that's translated guard here is the same word that's translated keep in Genesis 2, 15. And the word that's translated serve here is the same word that's translated work in Genesis 2, 15. And follow this. You know what these priests would wear? They would wear gold and onyx, just like we read in Genesis chapter 2.

21:06 In fact, the priests would have written in gold over his forehead, holy to the Lord, as in set apart to be close with God. And in all of this, so God is making clear in his word that Adam, the first human, was like a priest in a tabernacle or a temple. And just like priests dwelled in closeness with God in the tabernacle, Adam, this human, was made to dwell in closeness with God in Eden. Now, hang with me. Let me show you one other thing and then we're gonna tie all this together with your life. So just stick with me. In Genesis chapter three, Louis also walked through this this morning. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they turned from intimacy with God. They lost their innocence. They realized their nakedness. They experienced guilt and shame before God, before each other, guilt and shame that we all experience.

22:03 We're all familiar with. And God provides a sacrifice to create a covering for them. Look at Genesis chapter three, verse 21. The Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. So the picture here in Eden is now Adam and Eve in need of clothes associated with the sacrifice to cover over them. And then when you fast forward to the tabernacle, every year, once a year on the day of atonement, which means the day of covering for the people's sins.

22:41 You had a priest, high priest, one person in the tabernacle who would put on particular clothes. Leviticus chapter 16 verse four says he shall put on the holy linen coat, shall have the linen undergarment on his body. He shall tie the linen sash around his waist and wear the linen turban. These are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. And the word there for coat is the same word that's garment in Genesis chapter 3, verse 21. So it's a similar picture of covering for sin. And you might notice linen coat, linen undergarment, linen sash, linen turban. So there's an emphasis on linen. Hold on to that for later. So the priest would put on these clothes, go into the center of the tabernacle, the most holy place where the mercy seat is flanked by these cherubim, he would offer the sacrifice for the people's sins. And then after the sacrifice, he would take off those garments and leave them in there. He'd change into other clothes to signify that that offering was complete.

23:50 Leviticus chapter 20, chapter 16, verse 23, Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, shall take off those linen garments that he put on and when he went in the holy place and shall leave them there. And a priest would do this once every year, year after year after year, as a picture of the need for humans to have their sins covered or atoned for in order to be able to dwell in closeness with God. It was a continual reminder to all humanity that we are all separated from our creator by our sin, from the God in whose image we are made. And this is where all this starts to come into your lap right where you're sitting. Because this story of humanity is all of our story.

24:47 God has made every single one of us to be with him, to dwell with him, to walk in intimacy with God. But all of us, without exception, have turned from intimacy with God. We've all told God we know better than he does what is best for our lives. And all of us are separated from intimacy with God and our lives that we feel on a daily basis in us and all around us in this fallen world. in sin and evil and sorrow and suffering and trials and temptations and conflict and division and murder and wars and anxiety and depression and disease and death.

25:42 I could go on and on, but we get the point. We are separated from the perfect intimacy with God that we are made for. This is the human story. but this is not the end of the story. So by the end of the Old Testament, it looks like humanity is hopeless until check out how John chooses to open his account in the New Testament. In the what? Beginning. What does that sound like? he's taken us all the way back to creation in the beginning was the word in the beginning God said God said in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God he so wait a second the word is a person who's that he was in the beginning with God and all these things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made so this is a picture of God in the beginning, creating, as we start reading along, we start to realize, wait a minute, this is how John is introducing us to who? To Jesus, the word, the revelation of God.

27:03 And we keep reading until we get to verse 14. And it says, the word became flesh and dwelt among us. and we have seen his glory. Glory as of the only son from the father, full of grace and truth. Are you serious? Do you know what that word dwelt means? It's the same word that's translated in the Old Testament. Anybody wanna guess?

27:30 Tabernacle. Jesus is the tabernacle. He is the dwelling place of God in the world such that when you see Jesus, you see the glory of God face to face. This is what Colossians 1.15 makes crystal clear. Jesus is not made in the image of God. He is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the epitome of humanity, God in the flesh, Hebrews 1.3. He is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, and he's the one who upholds the universe by the word of his power. He is Emmanuel, God with us. And so he's not just a tabernacle. So we're not going to have time to look to all these places in the book of John, but Jesus is John chapter two, the temple. He's the place where you encounter the glory of God. Remember the rivers flowing in Eden? Jesus is the spring of water welling up to eternal life. John chapter 4. Anyone who's thirsty, come to him and drink. John chapter 7. He's the manna in the tabernacle. John 6, I am the bread of life. He's the lampstand in the tabernacle. John 8, I am the light of the world. Thinking about the tree of life in Eden, Jesus says in John 11, I am the resurrection and the life. I came to conquer the curse of death. So I could keep going all throughout John all the way. His high priestly prayer in John 17, and then you get to John 18.

29:00 watch this when jesus had spoken these words he went out with the disciples across the book brook kid john where there was a what a garden well that's interesting another garden where his disciples came into this garden called gethsemane where jesus the image of god in the flesh faces a choice back in the garden in genesis the first man made in god's image failed and said, not your will, but mine be done. Here in this garden, the perfect man who is God's image says, not my will, but yours be done. Which leads to his crucifixion where on the cross, he cries out, it is finished. And then bowed his head, gave up his spirit. So follow this. As soon as the creator on the cross finishes his work of redeeming his creation, what do we read about in the very next verse?

30:00 Sabbath. The work is done. None of this is coincidence. All this fits together. There's no book like this book. Written by all these authors in different languages at different times over centuries, they all tell one overarching story that centers around Jesus. And check this out, it gets even better. So Jesus is buried and check out what happens when his followers go to the tomb three days later. Peter and John run there. So Peter went out with the other disciples, the other disciple, that's how John refers to himself. And they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. That's hilarious that John points out for all history that Peter was slow and he was fast. I beat you and I'm writing it down, inspired by the spirit forever. So anyway, then watch this, stooping to look in. So John saw the linen cloths lying there, but he didn't go in.

30:57 Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded up in a place by itself. Did you notice that? Three different times, there's an emphasis on what kind of cloths? Linen cloths. Three different times. It's like John's trying to tell us something. And he specifically tells us that they're folded up. What's going on here? Like John is telling us, Jesus didn't just die and rose again. That would have been sufficient. John is telling us Jesus died, rose again, and he made his bed. Why would he tell us that? Well, look a couple of verses later. We read that Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet whoa wait a second we got two angels flanking this scene with linen cloths nicely folded up between them does that sound familiar ever when the priest on the day of atonement would put on linen cloths go into the center of the tabernacle the mercy seat was two angels one on each side of it the priest offers his sacrifice then he'd leave those clothes there and change into something else are you seeing this jesus the complete human the perfect priest has gone into the most holy place he's offered not the blood of another sacrifice he's offered his own blood once and for all sinners he has said it is finished and he has walked out leaving those sacrificial clothes behind neatly folded up forever because there is no need for sacrifice anymore. And then, then Mary, having said this, she turned around and talking about, she talks to the angels. She turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she didn't know it was Jesus.

32:54 Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener. Are you kidding? She has no idea. This is the OG gardener. It's the one who made the garden of Eden she's talking to. Yes, he's the gardener, but she has no idea what kind of gardener. he is so she said to him sir if you've carried him away tell me where you've laid him i will take him away jesus said to her mary she just speaks her name and all of a sudden she realizes who he is and as soon as he says her name she realizes what's going on everything changes he says woman that's the first word out of his mouth which just to go back we didn't get to that part in genesis 2 is the picture of genesis 2 adam looking at eve woman that's the same word there But he says, Mary, go tell everybody, all the disciples, let's get together. And check this out.

33:46 So a few verses later, Jesus gets together with his disciples. Watch this. Jesus said to them again, peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. And when he said this, he, what? He breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. That's Genesis 2. God now in the flesh breathing new life by his spirit into humanity are you serious and and so then we just keep reading this is not just these first disciples this is every follower of Jesus when you place your faith in Jesus as the savior and lord who died on the cross and rose again for you, you not only receive forgiveness of your sins, you receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit living inside of you, breathing inside of you, the presence of God, not just with you, but in you. 1 Corinthians 6, 19. Do you not know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you whom you have from God. God wants intimacy with you so deeply that he comes to dwell inside you. Are you serious? Like we're singing that song better as one day in your courts, in your house, and thousands elsewhere. Good news. You don't even have to go to a house somewhere anymore because you are the house. You are. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

35:19 like you live in his courts not just live you are his courts this is amazing to anyone with the sound of my voice who has never put your trust in jesus as savior and lord of your life including some of you who may have well some have may never been involved in church others of you may have grown up in church but the truth is you've never actually experienced a living breathing intimate relationship with God. Now is the time. Tonight is the night to say to God, yes, this is what I'm made for. God, I want an intimate, real, authentic, close, personal relationship with you now and forever. And when you say that, and for all who already are in intimate relationship with God, don't settle for anything less than ever deepening intimacy with him don't settle for anything less i want to exhort you to find your intimacy with god and that's not just me saying that that's me saying that on behalf of god because he clearly from the beginning of the bible is saying i want this with you. Which leads to four quick closing words. So one, find your dignity and intimacy with God. Let this soak in. Unlike anything else in all creation, you are made in the image of God as a reflection of the glory of God. So yes, look at the Grand Canyon to see God's glory. Look at the sunrise over the mountains. Look at the sunset over the horizon. See God's glory. Look at the billions of stars in the sky, at stellar galaxies, and see God's glory. But do you really want to see God's glory? Look in the mirror. And when you look at your reflection, do not believe the lie from the adversary who's telling you that you're not enough this, or you're not enough that. Truth is, you are

37:24 God's prized creation. And do not believe the messages of this world that you have to do certain things in order to earn dignity. Because good news, true dignity is received from God, not achieved by you. Which then changes everything about you. Turns everything about you upside down. Your whole identity. Which leads to the second word. Find your delight and intimacy with God. Your heart is designed by your creator to find deepest delight not in anything in this world. In success in this world, in approval or acceptance by this world, in money, in sex, in sports, even in people, your heart is not intended designed to find deepest delight. Even in the greatest gifts in this world, your heart is designed to find deepest delight in the great giver of all those gifts. He's the only one who can satisfy you. In the words of Augustine, you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. This is the invitation of the gospel, and it's not to come to Jesus so you can get things, come to Jesus so you can get health, wealth, prosperity, comfort, safety, success in this world. No. And it's not even come to Jesus so you can get heaven. The invitation of the gospel is to come to Jesus so you can get Jesus. Come to Jesus to get God. He's the one we need. He's the one we want. So many professing Christians are missing the essence of Christianity. Say a prayer, accept Jesus to get out of hell, then move on living however you want, according to the pattern of this world, with little personal attention to or affection for God, and then go to heaven? No, that's blasphemy. You won't go to heaven if you don't want God. He's the one who makes heaven,

39:34 heaven. So find your deepest delight and intimacy with him. So how do you do that? what's through being with him through all that you're walking through right now as a house here passion city church and being desperate for him and prayer and his word which leads to the third word spend your day in intimacy with god spend your day in intimacy with god did you did you know that just a couple centuries ago it would have been common for an ordinary christian so not just a pastor or a church leader, just an everyday Christian. To rise before dawn for extended time in prayer, privately alone, and meditating on God's Word. And then to have family time for prayer and meditation on God's Word in the morning. And then to have time set aside in the middle of the day for personal or corporate, like with the church, prayer and meditation on God's Word. To be followed by family prayer and meditation on God's Word at night, followed by personal prayer and meditation on God's word before going to sleep. Like that used to be a normal schedule for many everyday Christians, collective hours throughout the day in prayer and meditation on God's word.

40:50 but not for us. Let's just be honest. We almost can't fathom that. Not amidst all that we have going on in our lives, right? I mean, how is that possible? From the moment we rise to the moment we go to bed to moments all throughout the day to always be looking at God's word, we can't imagine.

41:12 Oh, wait a minute. Can we imagine having something that we look at first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and all throughout the day, collective hours. Apparently, we can. The average American spends five hours and 24 minutes a day on their mobile device from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed and everywhere in between. We check our phones an average of 96 times a day. That's once every 10 minutes. so the problem is not that we don't have time problem is we are being conformed all day long to the pattern of this world instead of being conformed to the image of our god look at look at second corinthians 3 17 and 18 the lord is the spirit where the spirit of lord is there is freedom and we all with unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.

42:21 This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Don't miss what the Bible's saying here. We become like what we behold. We are being transformed into what we spend our time looking at. And for so many of us, the reality is we're beholding the world all day long and our lives are being conformed to the gods of this world. The only way to be remade in the image of God is to behold God all day long. To Psalm 27, gaze upon his beauty. Don't be content with a glance at God. To gaze upon God. To set aside time to seek intimacy with him. as the one thing, that's what Psalm 27 says, one thing above everything else that I ask, I just want to behold you in all your glory and inquire in your temple.

43:20 Which, let me just add, doesn't mean just monotonously praying and reading the Bible. You can do that and still miss intimacy with God. I was studying 1 Kings 18 recently, so Elijah, the prophets of Baal, they prayed for hours. It did no good. And I was reminded, the power of prayer is useless. are you praying so what muslims pray more than most christians hindus pray congress prays it's not a real big deal the power of prayer is useless but the power of people who walk in intimacy with god is unstoppable so spend your day in intimacy with god and then finally experience your destiny and intimacy with God. You want to talk about destiny. Did you hear Jesus's words in John 20, right before he breathed life into his disciples, he said, as the father has sent me, so I am sending you. Then he breathed on them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. You have been filled with the Spirit of God himself because you have been sent.

44:35 check this out to lead other people to life in him so this week in this city passion city church you've been commissioned sent by the creator of the world to lead students on your campus to life in him to lead co-workers in your building to life in him to people in your gym to experience eternal life in love relationship with god and not just here we live in a world where three billion people have still not heard the truth about who Jesus is. The image of the invisible God who makes everlasting life with God a reality. In the words of Jesus in Acts 1.8, we have received power from the Holy Spirit so that we might be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. That's our destiny. Bringing people from the ends of the earth back to the creator. Do not settle for a nice, comfortable Christian spin on the American dream. When you were made to experience life, leading people to life in Jesus all over the world, knowing every single human being's destiny hinges on hearing, believing in Jesus.

45:40 The only one who Revelation 5, 9 says is worthy to take a scroll and open its seals because he was slain and by his blood, he has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nations, made them a kingdom and priests, our God, who will reign on the earth with him, which leads to the picture. Here's where we'll finish it. Revelation 21. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. There it is. Started in the beginning. Now in the end, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more, no more mourning, no more crying, no pain. The former things have passed away. And then Revelation 22 says, the angel showed me the river, just like Eden of the water of life, bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb through the middle of the street of the city. Also on either side of the river, the tree of life.

46:44 There it is. It's back from Genesis chapter two. First time we see it come back. Now it's here with 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed. Curse of sin gone. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it. That's temple language right there. His servants will worship him, which leads to the five most beautiful words in all the Bible. They will see his face. We're gonna see his face. and his name is going to be on our foreheads. Remember the priests? The Lord's name on their foreheads, belonging to him, made to be with him. This is what we're made for and night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun for the Lord God will be their light. The God who said, let there be light will be our light forever and we will reign with him forever and ever.

47:41 And just in case, like forever would have been sufficient. but he adds and ever just to make sure we know we're going to enjoy being with God without end for the next 10 trillion years and we will just be getting started this is your destiny this is what you are made for intimate eternal relationship with your creator so don't settle for anything less than that.