Experiencing God (1)

[Speaker 1] [Music] Churches and fellowship cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. The Lord greatly desires godly homes. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministries. Be blessed as you listen. [Music] [Speaker 2] As usual, our last Monday is a Monday that we try to create more time to pray. So, we will see how we manage our Bible study today as we normally do to make sure that we have enough time to be able to pray. Last week, we looked at the topic "not by sight but by faith," not living by sight but living by faith. And we were able to conclude that topic on last week Monday. And this morning, we will be starting up a new series which I titled "Experiencing God." Today we will set the background for the series, then take some time to pray, being the last Monday, for about some of the things we have been discussing before now. And then from there we move on. So, let us have a word of prayer as we start up together this evening. Everlasting Father, we are grateful. Thank you indeed for your mercies. Thank you indeed for your love. Thank you for justification. Thank you for adoption. Thank you for redemption. Thank you for reconciliation. Thank you for justification. Thank you for eternal life. Thank you for peace with God. Thank you for your Holy Spirit in us. Thank you for a sense of direction by your spirit. Thank you, oh Lord our God, for the gift of grace. Thank you for bringing us into your purpose. Thank you for making us your workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Thank you for choosing us to life. Lord, we are indeed very, very grateful. We commit ourselves into your hands. Our brethren who are joining us online, brethren on Telegram, brethren on Mixlr, Lord, we pray. We who are physically here, Lord, please attend to our life with mercy. Lord, meet us where we need you most. Grant us, oh Lord, encounter that will remain and last. Grant us that we will be changed more and more into your image in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Eternal Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Yeah, we are starting the series "Experiencing God" today. I hope that by quarter to six or twenty to six thereabout, we will be getting set to pray. Let me begin by taking us to the book of John. Let us go to the gospel according to John 4. It was actually the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. And there was a discussion between the two of them. And the Lord Jesus began to affirm some very, very important things about experiencing God. That is where I want to begin to lay the foundation from. Subsequently, we will go to the pattern in the Old Testament, how God patterned this in the Old Testament. And then we will now look, come much more later into understanding how this is expressed in the new covenant, so that we can understand that what we are talking about is not anything really new. But it is something that maybe we have not particularly paid attention to, and so we have—many of us have not been able to experience God the way we should. Let us look at what Jesus, the discussion between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. I want to take it from the verse 15. John 4. I am reading from the English Standard Version. The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water." Jesus told her that whosoever drink of the water that I give the person will never be thirsty again. That water will become inside the person a spring. And so the woman was wondering, "Ah, if there is a water like this, that will be a good one, not to be coming to fetch water." So the woman responded by telling Jesus that, "Please, sir, give me this water." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the one now you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped God..." Please be noting the woman now. Perceiving that Jesus should be a prophet, perceiving that Jesus is not an ordinary person, perceiving that Jesus appears to be an unusual person, having an understanding that I am not dealing with an ordinary fellow, the woman brought the discussion to how people normally experience God. The prophet experienced God. So she now brought what she feel, what she understood as to experiencing God. The prophet experienced God. So she now came to say, "Our fathers worship on this mountain, but you say that it is in Jerusalem. You say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. The hour is coming and is now here when true worshipers will worship the Father where? In spirit and truth." So Jesus was drawing or was calling the attention of the woman that the worship of God will not be experienced per a location. Experiencing God will not be about a shrine. Experiencing God will not be about a place. Experiencing God will not be about a denomination. Experiencing God is going to be something unique. Jesus was bringing something unique. He said, "You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know. Salvation is of the Jews." When we talk, we are talking from what we know. And from what we know, we are telling you that the time is now. Now that I have come. Now that I have arrived. By the time I will be lifted up. By the time a new covenant will be set. By the time I will die and I will resurrect. It is going to be a new thing altogether. The temple will no more be somewhere. Human beings will be the temple. God will dwell in men. The ark of covenant will be the heart of men. The place of worship will be the people. There is going to be a radical change in this thing. So the matter is that God is spirit. To worship God, worship God in spirit and truth. In verse 24, he said, "God is spirit. And those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." So Jesus established a very, very strong matter that if God must be experienced, how will he be experienced? In spirit and in truth. If God is to be experienced, experiencing God is not a matter of a place. Experiencing God is not a matter of a temple. Experiencing God is not a matter of an altar. Experiencing God is: "God is spirit. Those who worship him worship him in spirit and truth." And for your information, he said, "for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." So this thing is saying, "God seek worship. God want to be worshiped. God want a fellowship." However, God is seeking it in a category of people. These people, the people who will bring that worship out in spirit and in truth. So if God is seeking worship, and God is seeking it in people, and the type of people God is looking for is people who will do it in spirit and in truth, then all we need to do is just to hit the mark. Once we can come in spirit and in truth, we don't have any problem again about experiencing God. The matter of this spirit and truth, you will see it again when Jesus was comparing two testaments. 2 Corinthians 3. Let's see it again. 2 Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians 3. I read and I want you to follow this in the simplicity of this reading. He says from verse 1: "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation written on our heart, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with what? But with what? But with the spirit of the living God." I want you to notice the matter again. But with the spirit of the living God. God is spirit. God is spirit. Those to worship God must worship God in spirit and truth. God is not mortal. God is not man. God is not a substance you want to hold and grip. God is spirit. He says, "but with the spirit of the living God. Not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human heart. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from who? From God. Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new testament." Please note something. Ministers of a new testament. Not of the letter, but of the spirit. Are you seeing the matter again? The new covenant, that's what he was telling the woman. You worship God here. You worship God there. You worship God here. You worship God here. It is here. It is here. He said no. The time has come. Now is it. You need to know that the Father is seeking those that will worship him in spirit and truth. Why? Because actually God is spirit. And when you notice now, he said, "Such is the confidence that we have through who? Through Christ towards God." Which means Jesus was telling the woman that this thing that you are looking at, I am going to establish something. This person that you are looking at is the Messiah. He is the one who has all things. Everything falls apart. Everything falls apart. In Christ, everything comes together. The Bible says it is in him that all things are held together. And what's more? Jesus said the matter that you are talking about, we have this confidence. What's this confidence? It is because we got it from who? From the Messiah. So the woman was anticipating the Messiah. Jesus, whom she is confronting, I am telling you what God is going to do. The Messiah, the woman was trying to say God will do it. The Messiah, she does not know that the what has been done. The Messiah is here. Stop saying, "God come and save us. God come and save us. God come down. We want to experience you." They did not know that the word is into you. Jesus Christ, the kingdom is in your midst. Experiencing God is not going to fall from. Experiencing God is here. If you approach it wrong, you will never get it. The woman said she knows that the Messiah is coming. And I am telling you, that's where many believers are today. "God will. God will. God will. God will." And so we could not experience God because we don't understand that God has, God has, God has, God has the heart. He has had the heart. He has already settled it. The Messiah is here. I'm telling you that today. Come and save us, God come and save us, God come down. We want to experience you. They did not know that the what is into you. Jesus Christ. The kingdom is in your midst. Experiencing God is not going to fall from. Experiencing God is here. The woman said she knows that the Messiah is coming and I am telling you that is where many believers are today. God will, God will, God will, God will. And so we could not experience God because we don't understand that God has, God has, God has, God has the heart, He has had the heart, He has already settled it. The Messiah is here. Stop asking me to come. I am talking to you. It is not something to come. If you want to know all things, it is now. If you want to get it clear from God, it is now. If you want to fully experience God, hear me. I am telling you we know what we worship. The Messiah is here. And at that time when Jesus was speaking, the covenant has not been enforced because the testator is yet to die. As at now that we are speaking, the testator has risen. The covenant has been enforced. So anybody who is still trying to worship God outside spirit and truth, who is still looking for "God is here, God is here, God is here, God is here, God will come, God will do it, God is coming, God will do," will never fully experience God. That is what Paul, that's what Paul, that's why Paul fastened it about the old one. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 3 that we are reading. What I want to make you see why he fastened it about the old one. He said, "Now, if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the spirit even have more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory." Do you remember that when Moses was speaking to these people, Moses told them that when God was speaking to them, they did not see any image? You remember? He said, "Remember that when he was speaking with you, you didn't see any image. What were you hearing? You were only hearing a voice." So, be not make any image or any likeness of anything, of things in heaven above or in earth beneath. For when the Lord was speaking to you from the mountain, you only hear what? Voices. You didn't see any image. So what was Moses telling them that God is spirit? You didn't see any image. You didn't see any statue. You didn't see anything. That's why the Lord your God commanded you that you must not make any bow down to any image or the likeness of anything above. I am saying this because sometimes when we want to make a caricature of the cross, they will place the cross somewhere inside your place of worship and say you bow to it so you bow to Christ. I just wonder. He said what you heard was what? Voices. And you will notice that when God was summarizing everything with them, Moses was summarizing that matter. Deuteronomy 8:3. Are we familiar with that scripture? Deuteronomy 8:3. Please let's go there. When he was summarizing everything again, all the experience again with them. [background noise] Use the mic. [Speaker 3] Deuteronomy 8:3: "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." [Speaker 2] Are you seeing that? How did Moses summarize their experience? That everything that God wanted them to learn is that you should live by what? Every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Every word. Everything. All that God wanted them to learn is that you don't live by bread alone but by what? By the word of God. That anything God say is as good as you take your daily food to live on. You can live by this. If you want to live your life, just like if you give birth to a human being, that human being want to be alive, all he need is to be taking bread. That is food. You eat, you eat, you eat. He says, "I brought you that you understand that man don't live by mortal, things seen, things physical, but see, we want you to know that man live, can live by the Word of God." By the time Jesus was tempted in Matthew 4, it was the same thing. He said, "Turn this stone to bread." He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God." You see Moses summarizing the experience into one thing again? That if only you will diligently hearken to the Word of God. You will notice that all that Moses brought Israel to know is that if this book of the law will not depart from the mouth—this thing that God said. He said, "This commandment that I am giving you today is what God said and I have written it down. What God said, what God said." Remind them that you only heard what? Voices. No image. No thing. As long that God has spoken, what happened? You can live by it. You don't need additional thing. You don't need anything else to add. If God say don't farm this year because this year is the seventh year, I want you to rest throughout that year. You will see that God will make sure that if you don't work throughout that seventh year, by that seventh year there will be no food from the sixth year and to carry you to the eighth year when you will farm again. When God told them about the manna, He said they should not keep it overnight. What did they do? They kept it overnight. What happened to that manna? It got spoiled. It brought out worms. But when it now became their normal food and God said they should take it, store it on the sixth day, because on the seventh day there will be no manna, they are to rest, they should take and keep to the following day, when they kept that one, what happened? That is God teaching them: whatever I say, whatever I say is enough. You don't need to try to go around it. You don't need to add to things that I said. That's why he was telling them, "Remember that on the mountain you didn't see anything." That is, this book of the covenant of the law is simply what God said. I am saying this because you will later see that God abolished death and brought immortality to light by the Gospel. By the Gospel. What is the Gospel? Paul said, "This Word that is where? In your mouth, which we preach." I am bringing your attention to something that Paul was trying to draw a corollary. Please let's go back. Let's look at that 2 Corinthians that we were reading. What I want to make you see why Paul fastened it about the old one. Go back to that 2 Corinthians 3. He said, "Such is the confidence that we have through who? Through Christ towards who? Towards God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from where? Is from God. Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a what? A new testament." At that when Jesus was speaking to the woman, he's still alive. At that when Paul is talking about this thing, "God has made us ministers of a new testament. Not of the letter but of the spirit. For the letter kills but the spirit gives life." Now, please note something. He now began a comparison. "Now, if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the spirit even have more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory." Please, I want you to be noting every word that is being used for the New Testament. The first time, it is what? The spirit. The next thing, it is what? Ministry of righteousness. Ministry of the spirit. Ministry of life. Right? The other one is of death. Have you seen? When you compare the two. Please be noting this thing. "Done in your heart." And you compare the two. Please be noting this thing. "Done in your heart." Who will go to heaven to bring down Jesus? Have you felt it? If you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth. Because there is a ministry of the spirit. This ministry is written upon the heart of men. This ministry is the ministry of life. This ministry is the ministry of righteousness. I want you to be noting all the ministry of the spirit. It is life. It is righteousness. It is in the heart. But for death, it will be in your hand. And you compare the two. Please be noting this thing. Condemnation is not in this ministry. Condemnation is of the old one. Righteousness is of the new one. You see? Look at it again. He says, "Indeed, in this case, what was once glory has come to have no glory at all because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more..." What do you see? What is what? Look at verse 11. "For if what is being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory." What is permanent? The glory of that which lasts, which is permanent. Are you getting the point now? The glory of one is passing away. The glory of this one will last. The glory of this one is permanent. What did he now say in 12? "Since we have such a hope..." We are what? We use great boldness of speech. There is something about this New Testament. There is something about it. He says, "we have a hope." That hope gives us so much boldness. Boldness of speech. There is a boldness that comes with this thing. Because this boldness is connected with righteousness. The righteous is as bold as a lion. There is a connection. He says, "Therefore, let us come to the throne. Let us come with boldness to the throne of what? Grace." There is a boldness with which if you don't come, you can never come. There is a boldness. There is a boldness. It is that boldness with which the son approaches his father, which the servant don't have. There is that boldness with which children approach parent, that slaves don't have. There is a boldness. There is something about experiencing God. You see, when you truly understand what the New Testament makes available, it brings a boldness. If you have not entered into that boldness, you have not truly understood something. He said, "And since we was comparing something, he now spoke that this condemn, that which does not last, this one is permanent, this one remains, it will not be taken away." What he was trying to say: everything that God did before was just God putting everything together for Christ to come. Whatever Moses saw was not the original. Whatever was done before Jesus came, you cannot be too sure. Whatever was done before Jesus came, you are not sure because it cannot last. It cannot remain. It is not permanent. That is why you notice the Hebrew writer said that there is no more sacrifice of thin. That is, there is nothing again God want to do apart from what God has done. Where I am leaving the matter today, so we can take the remaining of the time to pray, is that the understanding of experiencing God is knowing fully well that God is spirit. God is spirit. God is spirit. He's seeking. He's seeking, God is the one seeking people that will worship him where? In spirit. God is the one seeking. It is not we who are going—no, God is seeking such. It is God who want to be experienced. It is God who is looking for people to worship him in spirit and truth. So it is God who gave the back. There is a need to understand this matter. If we enter into the spirit, all the gates, none can be locked. Because the order is coming from above. It is not coming from below. You get the point. Let him in. Everything that has been kept not to allow things to come in cannot stop where the command is "let him in." So that is why Paul said, "When you have a correct understanding of these things, having such hope..." Having such hope! We use such boldness of speech. Oh God. This unusual boldness. It is not a thing a child try to work out. It is a thing that comes. It is a thing that is there. Oh God. Even parents who are sinful, parents who are wicked, parents who are imperfect, they seek to have relationship where their sons—they say "talk to me, talk to me, what is it? Tell me your mind. Talk to me." Oh Father, anything holding back our boldness to encounter, our boldness to receive, our boldness to express, our boldness to live, our boldness to walk, our boldness to manifest God. Lord, as we enter through these teachings, as we go through your word, we will enter into this boldness in the name of Jesus. No. Lord. Lord. Greater works we will do. Greater works we will do. Jesus said, "Greater works will you do because I return to my Father." We will do greater works than my Master. We will do greater works shall we do. Greater works shall we do. Nothing will cut me short. Nothing will cut me down. Nothing will cut me short. Nothing will cut me down. Nothing will cut me short. I laugh at my fear. I laugh at my fear. I laugh at my fear. I challenge my doubt. I challenge my doubt. I pronounce today nothing will cut me short. Greater works I will do. He said, "Greater works will you do." I pronounce over my life today, I, Gbole Olushoya, greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. I rise beyond my limitation. I rise beyond my fear. I go beyond my doubt. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. More than my Master have done. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. I conquer death. My Master conquered death. I conquer the devil. He conquered the devil. I conquer sin. He conquered sin. I conquer the law. He conquered the law. I conquer self. He conquered self. I conquer sickness. I conquer sickness. I conquer the world. He conquers the world. Greater works I will do. Thank you, Father. Your likeness, your likeness will be seen in me. Your likeness, your likeness, your likeness, your likeness. And as you say your likeness, I want you to also pronounce greater works I will do. Jesus said, "Greater works will you do because I return to my Father." I will do greater works than my Master. I will do greater works shall I do. Greater works shall I do. Nothing will cut me short. Nothing will cut me down. Nothing will cut me short. Nothing will cut me down. Nothing will cut me short. I laugh at my fear. I laugh at my fear. I laugh at my fear. I challenge my doubt. I challenge my doubt. I pronounce today nothing will cut me short. Greater works I will do. He said, "Greater works will you do." I pronounce over my life today, I, Gbole Olushoya, greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. I rise beyond my limitation. I rise beyond my fear. I go beyond my doubt. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. More than my Master have done. Greater works I will do. Greater works I will do. I conquer death. My Master conquered death. I conquer the devil. He conquered the devil. I conquer sin. He conquered sin. I conquer the law. He conquered the law. I conquer self. He conquered self. I conquer sickness. I conquer sickness. I conquer the world. He conquers the world. Greater works I will do. Thank you, Father. Lastly, I want us to pray for our nation. Every time we gather, every last year of the month, we pray for our nation. Please lift up your voice for Nigeria. And just one thing I want you to pray for Nigeria today with me is that God expose every evil deal, expose every evil worker. Lord, Lord, Lord, withhold power from them that they will not be able to perform their enterprise. Lord, expose every evil deal. Expose every evil worker. Lord, withhold power from them that their hand will not be able to perform their enterprise. Oh Lord, in your mercy do this for us. Expose every evil worker. Expose every evil deal. Withhold power from them that their hand will not be able to perform their enterprise. Lord, do this for us in your mercy. Defend our nation. Defend Nigeria. In your mercy, oh God. Lord, for your name's sake, oh God. For your name's sake, oh God. For your name's sake, oh God. For your name's sake, oh God, defend Nigeria. For your name's sake, oh God. For the sake, oh God, of the few elect that may be in the land. Oh Lord, magnify Jesus. Defend the land, like you defended Judah. For your name's sake, our Father. Thank you, Immortal God. Blessed be your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name, we pray. Everlasting Father, we thank you for today. Almighty God, we just look up unto you. Lord, Lord, if we must abound in goodness, it is not by power. It is not by might. It is you that works in us, both to will and to do of your good pleasure. Lord, I pray for every one of us today, including myself. Take us beyond our struggles. Ah Lord, everywhere we are struggling to do it. We are not supposed to struggle. We are to mount on wings as eagles. Lord, take us beyond our struggles. Lord, take us beyond our struggles. Take us beyond our struggles. Lord God Almighty. That imagination that is limiting us. That fear that is limiting us. That doubt that is limiting us. Oh God, oh God, oh God. You brought the Apostle to a point, and he said, "Having such hope, we speak with such boldness of speech." Oh God, this unusual boldness. It is not a thing a child try to work out. It is a thing that comes. It is a thing that is there. Oh God, even parents who are sinful, parents who are wicked, parents who are imperfect, they seek to have relationship where their sons—they say "talk to me, talk to me, what is it? Tell me your mind. Talk to me." Oh Father, anything holding back our boldness to encounter, our boldness to receive, our boldness to express, our boldness to live, our boldness to walk, our boldness to manifest God. Lord, as we enter through these teachings, as we go through your word, we will enter into this boldness in the name of Jesus. Lord, Lord, Lord. Greater works we will do. Greater works we will do. It is not sufficient to do less. You said, "Greater works you will do." That is the minimum. Lord, greater works we will do. Because boldness to manifest God will come in the name of Jesus. We will break through limitations. We will break through the impossible. We will stop the unstoppable. We will breeze the mountains. We will climb the walls in the name of Jesus. We will become invincible. We will become invincible. We will become unstoppable in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. And Lord, we will become spirit. We will become spirit. We will become spirit. We will rise above the mortal. We will express your glory in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father, for the earnest expectation of creation await the manifestation of the sons of God. Lord, creation, they are waiting for our manifestation. Creation, they are waiting for the expression of power. They are waiting for the expression of grace. They are waiting for the expression of glory. They are waiting for the expression, oh God, of the resurrection power. Creation is crying. Creation is waiting for us. Lord, we are coming forth in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father. You will work it in us. Not that anything is of us. It will be from you. It will be by you. It will be through you. It will be of you. And it will be for you in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Immortal Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, the Christian ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's Word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday at 5:00 PM, Adolescents and Singles' Club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM. Marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM. Family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp, by first bridge, Ileri community, opposite Very Joy Feeling station along Icaro Road, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. Or send us an email through FamilyTentMinistry01@gmail.com. You can also reach us on YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, or through our website www.familytentministry.com, or listen to any of our podcasts at Spotify. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.