Loving the Lord

Josiah Stewart • Saturday March 26, 2022

Notes

Position vs Relation

“The more I get to know God, the more I see that there’s so much I don’t know about Him.” – Kenneth E. Hagin

We can’t stop with where we are positionally and forget where we need to be relationally.

Colossians 1:16 KJV

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Isaiah 43:7

7 Even every one that is called by my name: I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Revelation 4:11

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Our first ministry is not to people, but to the Lord.

1. Praise

Psalm 150:6

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

To God be the Glory – Hymn written be Fanny B. Crosby

To God be the glory

Great things He hath done

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son

Who yielded His life in atonement for sin

And opened the lifegate that all may go in

Chorus:

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord

Let the earth hear His Voice

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord

Let the people rejoice

Oh come to the Father through Jesus the Son

And give Him the glory. Great things He hath done.

Praise is our response to what he does and what he has done.

Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

We enter the gates into the courts of His presence with praise.

In other words that’s the starting point.

2. Worship

In the Old Covenant the priests would move past the outer courts on to the altar of incense where they worshipped.

We have to move beyond just loving the Lord for what He’s done, and we need to love Him for who He is.

Luke 10:38-42

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus was not rebuking Martha’s serving. He was rebuking her anxious preoccupation with things over Him.

Until we establish a loving connection with Him, and only then, are we safe to go out and work unto the Lord, because it’s then that He’s able to fully flow through us.

Our ministry Godward will launch us into our ministry manward.

God’s original intent was for all of Israel to be a nation of priests, yet because of Israel’s sin, only Levi became the priestly tribe.

Exodus 19:3-6

3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Psalm 25:14 TPT

14 There’s a private place reserved for the devoted lovers of God, where they sit near him and receive the revelation secrets of His promises.

It is God’s will for all of us to be Kings and priests unto God, and through the blood of Jesus, he has accomplished that.

1 Peter 2:5,9

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

We don’t have to offer up the bloody sacrifices of the old covenant.

We get to offer up the spiritual sacrifices of the New!

Hebrews 13:15

15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

3. Communion

Beyond the courts and the altar, there is still a deeper place in Him.

The flow of worship will carry us into the Holy of Holies.

We are the temple of God, but we can neglect His presence within us.

1 Chronicles 13:3

3 It is time to bring back the ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God

Jeremiah 2:13

13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

We can’t be satisfied with only hearing man’s words, that we forget we need to hear God’s words.

Confession is not how we receive everything in God. There are things as we’ve seen that only come by seeking.

Jeremiah 29:13

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

God wants to be with us.

Song of Solomon 5:2-6

2 I slept but my heart was awake.

Listen! My beloved is knocking:

“Open to me, my sister, my darling,

my dove, my flawless one.

My head is drenched with dew,

my hair with the dampness of the night.”

3 I have taken off my robe—

must I put it on again?

I have washed my feet—

must I soil them again?

4 My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;

my heart began to pound for him.

5 I arose to open for my beloved,

and my hands dripped with myrrh,

my fingers with flowing myrrh,

on the handles of the bolt.

6 I opened for my beloved,

but my beloved had left; he was gone.

My heart sank at his departure.

I looked for him but did not find him.

I called him but he did not answer.

How often we miss opportunities to commune with God.

Song of Solomon 7:4

4 …Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon…

Anna the Prophetess’ first ministry was to the Lord. Because of this, she was filled with the revelation of who Jesus was, and her ministry Godward launched her into her ministry manward.

Luke 2:38

38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

“Praise until the spirit of worship comes, worship until the glory comes, then stand in the glory.” – Ruth Heflin

Shut in with God – hymn written by William Grum

The disciples were praying for the power to fall

Ten days they did tarry, on God they did call

Then God sent His spirit to baptize them all

For they had been shut in with God

Chorus
Shut in with God in a secret place
There in the spirit, beholding His face
Gaining new power to run in this race
Oh, I love to be shut in with God

Of all pleasant places on land or on sea
There’s no place on earth that is sweeter to me
Than to kneel at the feet of my Master and Lord
For there, I’ll be shut in with God

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