Last week, we were reminded that God is always pursuing us and were challenged to consider what it is that we pursue each day.  Although there are times when it may not feel like it, the truth is that God is never far from us.  As we pursue Him, as we seek Him, we will find Him.

James 4:8a

8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.

When Paul was reaching out to the lost in Athens, he described it this way:

Acts 17:24-28

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

God is not far from us if only we choose to seek Him.  God’s desire is not to be far from us, but to live life together with us just as it was in the beginning.  God walking together and working together with Adam and Eve in the cool of the garden. 

Often, we don’t really understand what it means to seek God.  We think we’re seeking God, but in reality, we are just seeking the benefits of God.  The two look much the same in daily disciplines, but the two are as different as night is from day.  Especially when we have nowhere else to turn and are desperate for a miracle, we seek after the benefits of God.  However, seeking God is different from seeking after some provision of His.

Most of us have people in our lives that only reach out to us when they need something.  They know our benefits, perhaps some skill that we have, or that we manage our money well and might have some to spare.  However, they don’t really know us.  They don’t desire to build a relationship with us and to get to know us, they just know that we offer some benefit and that they can use it when they are in a bind.

If we took time to honestly analyze our relationship with God, we may look a bit like that kind of a friend.

Yes, God wants to be a help in our time of need.  He wants to be our savior and healer and deliverer and to do all that He has promised to do for us.  However, His desire is that we seek not only the benefits of God, but to have a genuine relationship with Him.

When we seek God, we will find Him.  Today, we’re considering what our re:Sponse is.

God appointed to place us in this time of history within the boundaries of this land so that we would seek Him and reach out for Him and to find Him.  How will we respond to Him, though?

Jesus once healed ten men who had leprosy (Luke 17:11-19).  However, only one came back to Jesus and to thank Him and to give praise to God.  All ten cried out to Jesus for healing.  Jesus healed all ten.  Only one returned and laid down his life in response.

Crowds of thousands would come to receive from Jesus and to hear His teaching.  However, only a few laid down their lives to follow Him.  Only a few really took the time to build a relationship with Jesus and got to know Him.

Revival is awesome!  When true, genuine revival breaks out as the Spirit of God moves, it is amazing!  Just like when the church first began on the day of Pentecost, people are getting saved, filled with the Spirit, healed, delivered, sent out to the missions field, gifted, and so much more!

Crowds come for the benefits of God, but why does God choose to move in such ways?  Is it just to attract large groups of people?  Are miracles just signs that make you wonder?  What is the purpose of signs, wonders, and miracles?

Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say as revival was breaking out.  He was b