1. Knowing Jesus Christ Personally More and More — Zac Poonen — August 23, 2024
http://rlcf.church River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker encourages the audience to deepen their personal relationship with Jesus by becoming consciously aware of His presence in daily activities, such as singing. He emphasizes that this requires persistent practice, drawing parallels between developing awareness in worship and understanding the core gospel message from Acts 2. Ultimately, the message points to dwelling in God's presence, which the speaker asserts is the source of fullness of joy, contrasting it with a 'subnormal' Christian life.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Are you conscious of Jesus when you worship?Believers are encouraged to develop a personal awareness of Jesus' presence during times of singing and prayer, moving past mere routine through persistent practice.
How Jesus lived in the constant presence of GodPeter's sermon on the day of Pentecost highlights the death and resurrection of Christ, pointing to Psalm 16 as the model of how Jesus constantly kept the Father before Him.
Knowing the Lord from the least to the greatestThe conference theme from Hebrews 8 shows that anyone, starting from the smallest or least experienced believer, can know the Lord personally through the revelation of the Holy Spirit.Hebrews 8:11
What is eternal life?Eternal life is defined by Jesus in John 17 as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ personally, which is a quality of life that grows deeper over decades.
Taking hold of eternal lifePaul encourages Timothy to actively fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of this intimate, personal knowledge of God.1 Timothy 6:12
God is a rewarder of those who seek Him diligentlyFaith requires believing that God rewards those who wholeheartedly pursue Him, much like people rushing to find gold.Hebrews 11:6
Five areas where sin can manifestSin can occur in deeds, words, thoughts, attitudes toward people, and motives, even in spiritual activities like preaching.
God can turn the worst evil into goodJust as God turned the crucifixion of Jesus Christ—the greatest sin in history—into the greatest blessing, He can turn any wrong done against us into good if we respond in faith.
The strict condition of forgiving othersJesus warns that if believers do not forgive others from their hearts, their heavenly Father will not forgive their transgressions.
An unforgiving spirit blocks knowing ChristRetaining grudges stops a believer's spiritual growth and knowledge of God, making it vital to deal with unforgiveness immediately.Hebrews 8:11
Calling God 'Dad' in daily fellowshipThrough the Holy Spirit, believers receive the spirit of sonship, allowing them to intimately call God 'Dad' during quiet moments like early morning prayer.
A prayer of release and forgivenessThe message concludes with an invitation for listeners to search their hearts, forgive every person who has ever hurt them, and turn to their heavenly Father.
