Intimacy with God

Bible's call to intimacy:

Revelation 21:3 says, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Leviticus 26:11-12
John 1

Different metaphors of intimacy

The Vine Relationship
walk in the Spirit Gal. 5:25)
Love metaphor: Matt. 22:37-40
THE METAPHOR OF INTIMATE MARRIAGE
Consider some of the positive ways:
As the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5
He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with
loud singing Zephaniah 3:17
Consider some of the negative ways: She went after her lovers, And forgot me, declares the Lord.
Hosea 2:14
I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk But you trusted in your beauty and
played the whore because of your renown and lavished your unfaithfulness on any passerby
Ezekiel 16:10 & 15
These are pictures, meant to turn the light on both to His intimate love, and to our unfaithfulness.
Euphoria
1 John 1:1-4
A. Find a few phrases that capture Johns euphoric excitement.
B. Look at the way John uses the word koinania, probably translated fellowship. Where does the
fellowship begin, and how does the circle complete?
I want to give you an example of the circle of koinania from last week.

Talk With God

John 10:27-29
1 Peter 5:6-8

Spend Time With Others Who Believe in Christ

Worshipping God
John 4:23
Matthew 4:10
The Bible reveals three areas of worship.

1. Personal Worship as a Way of Life

Col. 3:23, (Rom. 12:2
Our entire life, as a New Testament priest, is to be one of worship, where we offer up praise and
acts of services to God. In fact, all that we do in life is to be presented unto the Lord as an act of
worship and for His glory (1 Cor. 10:31). Someone has said: We are to be worshippers first and
workers second.

2. Personal Worship as Specific Times of Focus on God

David worshipped as he prayed and sang alone at night (Ps. 63:6-7; see also Ps. 119:62).
when we reflect or meditate on Him and His Word (Psalm 119:10-11, 97)
The Lord Jesus rose early in the morning to pray and commune with the Father (Mark 1:35).
The Psalmist got up before dawn to meet with God (Psalm 119:147)
3. Corporate Worship Among Gods People

Prayer
Col. 4:2
Hebrews 10:22 says, Let us draw near (near to God) with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Prayer is the way we draw near to God and experience the wonder and fellowship of God within our
daily living. O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up (Psalm
5:3).

Praise

In the Scriptural references to praise we find that God is the central object of praise (Ps. 30:12;
40:3; 42:5, 11; 43:4-5; 44:8; 50:23; 66:18; 86:12; 104:33; 106:48; 147:1, 7; 150)
What is a good working definition of praise? Praise is an action of worship that is directed to God
through the medium of speaking, singing, and the playing of musical instruments, where grateful
homage (reverence and respect) is expressed to the Lord for His character and wonderful works.
The Bible speaks about praising Gods name (Ps. 99:3; 148:13; see also 7:17; 9:2; 69:30). We can
praise Gods name as we think of Him as our provider (Gen. 22:4); healer (Psalm 103:1-2), peace
(Judges 6:24), and shepherd (Ps. 23:1).

Meditation
Pursuing God
Psalm 27:8
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

Psalm 63:1 also states:

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for
thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.

For those who seek Him God promises companionship (Ps. 27:8-10), protection (Ps. 9:9-10),
provision (Ps. 34:10), gladness (Ps. 119:2; 70:4; 40:16), goodness (Lam. 3:25), and reward (Heb.
11:6).

Be Patient
How valuable is it to read and study the Bible?
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of,
knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known
the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which
is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Proverbs 3:13-15, New International Version
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she
[wisdom] is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more
precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
Joshua 1:8, God's Word Translation
Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that
you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and
succeed.

1 Timothy 4:13, 15
Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine...
Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be
evident to all.
Does spiritual fasting also help in drawing close to God?
Ezra 8:21, 23
Then I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble
ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and
all our possessions...
So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
Matthew 6:17-18
"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not
appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your
Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
Joel 2:12
"Now, therefore," says the LORD, "turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with
weeping, and with mourning."
3 things that hinder intimacy
A. 1 JOHN 1:6
B. 1 JOHN 2:11
C. 1 JOHN 4:1
Do materialism and an overly-busy life interfere with relationships?
Luke 16:13
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or
else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon [money, materialism]."
Mark 4:18-19
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and
the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things
entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."
1 Timothy 6:9-10
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish
and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money
is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their
greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Are satanic and demonic influences a significant danger?
1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith...

James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenly places.
Satan "deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9), so even followers of Christ can be deceived by
Satan or a demon when we aren't continually on guard. Satan hates all people, but he especially
wants to deceive and destroy anyone trying to obey God. We attract Satan and the demons and
become vulnerable to them if we are sinning, dabbling in spiritism or the occult, or letting down
spiritually in some other way. And when one walks in the way of the devil, he or she is alienating
himself or herself from God.
God desires a close relationship with everyone. In fact, He wants all people to eventually be His
"sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:18).

Ref:
http://www.bereaninternetministry.org/Devotional%20Papers/Spiritual%20Intimacy%20With
%20God.htm
http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-teachings/God-how-to-build-close-relationship.htm
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/christian-singles/what-it-means-to-be-intimate/intimacywith-god-the-way-to-true-fulfillment
http://crupressgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Invitation_to_Intimacy.pdf