Do you want to know God better? Learn to walk in the center of the Father’s will as you come to understand His heart revealed in His Word. Embrace these biblical principles today and begin your journey to life at its best. It is God’s desire for each one of His children to have an intimate relationship with Him. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to https://intouch.org/tv
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in touch the Teaching Ministry of Dr
Charles Stanley reaching the world with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ
next on InTouch our intimacy with God
do you realize that God is purposed to
reproduce his life in your life and
through your life
and in order for that to happen
he must reveal himself to you and he
must bring us into an intimate
relationship with him
an intimate relationship with him is of
the highest priority
and
it demands something of us
and
it impacts our entire life
for example when you have the right
relationship with him or if you have a
poor relationship with him out of that
flows everything else in your life
so that your relationship to him
determines how you live your life
whether it’s the right kind of life or
the wrong kind of life it all relates to
that so if I should ask you today do you
have an intimate relationship with God
through his son Jesus Christ well some
of you probably say well I’m not sure I
don’t even know what intimacy is usually
when we think of intimacy today we think
of sexual intimacy that’s where most
people leave it the what you see what
you touch what you feel but you see all
that surface intimacy goes much deeper
than what you see what you touch what
you feel and what I want us to look at
in this message today is what does it
mean to have an intimate relationship
with God through his son Jesus Christ
now some people have a difficult time
with that and this is the reason they
would say well if God is who he says he
is and that he’s holy and he’s righteous
and Transcendent above us and and he’s
Sovereign and all these other things and
how can I a sinner have a personal
intimate relationship with a holy God
how’s that possible that’s what I want
to explain because it is possible it is
the will of God for every single one of
his children to have an intimate
relationship with him which means
just being saved is not enough
just going to church it’s not enough and
reading the Bible and all the rest it’s
relationship and we live in a day when
it seems that most people are having
difficulty having a relationship
there’s all kind of things that go on in
people’s lives but intimacy is not one
of them I want you to turn if you will
to the 63rd psalm because if there’s
anyone in the Old Testament who
certainly had an intimate relationship
with God it was David was he perfect no
he was not
he was a sinner just like all of us have
sinned against him and so what I want
you to see is here is the expression of
a man’s heart here is evidence of a
man’s intimate relationship with the
father and so beginning in this 63rd
chapter of the Psalms I want to begin in
verse 1 where it says o God you are my
God I shall seek you earnestly my soul
thirsts for you my flesh yearns for you
in a dry and weary land where there is
no water
thus I’ve seen you in the sanctuary to
see your power and your glory because
your loving kindness is better than life
my lips will praise you so I will bless
you as long as I live and I will lift up
my hands in your name my soul is
satisfied
listen my soul is satisfied with Mara
and fatness in my mouth offers Praises
with joyful lips
when I remember you on my bed I meditate
on you in the night watches
for you have been my help and in the
shadow of your wings I sing for Joy my
soul clings to you your right hand
upholds me here is the expression of a
man’s heart
that’s not satisfied with things
with places
with prominence and Prestige and all the
rest here is a man whose Soul hungers
after God could you say that you hunger
after him
could you say that the most important
thing in your life is your relationship
to him
could you say that you want him more
than you want any other thing a person
or any opportunity what what’s first and
foremost is it an intimate relationship
with him intimacy talks about closeness
Oneness unity and so as we look at this
what I want us to see is I want us to
take a look at what real genuine
intimacy looks like what is it about
because God desires that for us now when
you read what’s what David said in the
Psalms he’s hungry and thirsting and
yearning after almighty God somebody
says well now what’s this all is
hungering about listen carefully because
listen
this could be one of the most important
messages you’ve ever heard in your life
because if you do not develop what I’m
going to talk about you’re going to go
through life
and you’re going to miss
the ultimate purpose for which God
created you
remember what he said
in the beginning he said let us create
man in our own image what did he mean by
that not so much physical but the image
of who he is
spirit
there’s something so awesome about God
and he said let’s create man in our own
image so we can relate to him and he can
understand who we are and I can love him
and love her and and and shower upon
them the goodness and the kindness and
all that I am that’s God’s purpose so
what does this look like well are we
going to put these on the mag screen so
you can jot them down the first one is
it’s a relationship of spiritual
intimacy
that is it reaches Deeper Than Physical
intimacy and because you and I have the
Holy Spirit living within us
we have the privilege and the power
to relate to the spirit of God when you
became a Believer the spirit of God came
into your life to do what to enable you
to equip you to empower you to give you
Direction and guidance for your life and
all the things that we need and so we
have the Holy Spirit and when you and I
submit to the spirit of the Living God
within us we can begin to develop a
relationship with him because it’s our
spirit and his Spirit nothing to do with
things it isn’t asking God for things
it’s developing that relationship so it
all begins with a personal relationship
then when we we talk about that we talk
about this idea of a personal
relationship
what’s it about it’s about being open
and honest and free so we’re not hiding
anything we’re just being who we are and
think about the times that you’ve prayed
oftentimes and you told God what you
wanted him to know and you only
confessed up to a point and you’re
willing to repent up to a point intimacy
says here’s my heart intimacy says I’m
willing to unwrap myself God before you
my heart my soul my spirit and
everything that I am I want you I want
you to see all of me I want you to know
that there’s nothing there’s nothing I’m
holding back
this personal relationship
intimacy
then of course
when I think about that naturally I’m
going to think about the whole idea of
trusting because if I should ask you
if you have a relationship to somebody
for your husband or your wife if you
don’t trust them you cannot have an
intimate relationship you have a
physical relationship and a surface
relationship but no intimacy if you
don’t trust someone you cannot have an
intimate relationship and so as a
Believer for example you don’t trust God
he said I have these needs and well I’m
not going to tell because I don’t
believe God can take my nine tents and
do more than I can with tent and and I’m
not going to do this this may be the
will of God in other words as long as
you refuse to trust them you cannot have
an intimate relationship with him
because intimacy is total openness and
total surrendering total willingness
and trust is an issue in fact how many
times did Jesus talk to us and the
gospel is about trusting intimacy says
I’m willing to trust you
and you see a person will not surrender
their life to God because they don’t
trust him he may ask him to do something
they don’t want to do or something they
think they can’t do or something in life
that that just no no no no I can’t do
that if I trust him I will obey him and
if I obey him it’s because I love him
you ask yourself the question do I
really and truly have an intimate
relationship with him
do you really and truly trust him
is this is this relationship listen not
a church relationship this is a
relationship between you and almighty
God
not only must there be a trust in that
relationship but there must be loving in
that relationship go back to Psalm 42
for a moment and uh listen to uh what
the psalmist says here because all of
this is an indication of his personal
intimate loving relationship to the
father he says in Psalm 42 verse 1 As
the deer pants for the water Brooks that
is he’s been running and running and
running and running maybe chased by some
other wolf or something and he says as
he pants thirsty so thirsty pants for
the water brick so my soul pants for you
o God my soul thirsts for God for the
Living God
could you say that you thirst for him
could you say that you have a hunger for
him could you say that you really and
truly love him now I’ll be honest with
you about something I can I can remember
I don’t know exactly the day but I
remember it’s a number of years ago I
remember praying and telling God that I
loved him and all of a sudden it dawned
on me I felt like I had marbles in my
mouth
and I finally had to say God
I don’t know whether I do or not
somehow it’s not it’s not ringing in my
spirit it sounds good I’ve been saying
it a long time I love you God
but on that day it’s like the spirit of
God just jumbled my words
and made me realize I didn’t know what I
was talking about
and I began to realize
I didn’t really love him the way he
wanted me to love him
I had an affection for him
and then as the Lord opened my eyes and
helped me to see
I somehow had a very difficult time
accepting his unconditional love
because I grew up believing that somehow
I had to deserve it
somehow I had to Merit his love
and on that day I realized no I did not
really love him I had an affection for
him but it was the beginning of bringing
me to realization of what true genuine
love for God is all about
I think about also another issue and
that is this issue of openness and
transparency because you see you can’t
have an intimate relationship with
somebody you’re holding secrets from
them
and when you think about how people live
oftentimes and live a lifestyle that is
not a lifestyle of openness and honesty
and transparency how can you have
relationship with somebody who’s keeping
secrets and keeping things from you well
you can’t because we go back to the
whole issue of trust what’s going on so
think about this when you pray and you
talk to the Lord do you open your heart
totally do you say to him Lord I know
I’ve sinned against you please forgive
me in Jesus name you said first John 1 9
that’s what I’m claiming amen that won’t
work
transparency says God today I was very
very lustful today I was very prejudiced
today I should not have opened my mouth
and said that today I was very critical
today whatever it might be openness
honesty and transparency the God is with
us
and you see to have to have intimacy
it’s got to be both ways listen God
wants you to know him he desires that
you know him fully he created you to
reveal himself through you because he
wants to express his love he’s an
awesome god of love he wants to express
it he desires to express it and he wants
us to do the same and without that
openness and transparency you’re not
going to have you’re not going to have
intimacy so
that leads me to the next issue and that
is it’s got to be a two-way relationship
now I want you to listen this carefully
probably if I said to you well do you
pray yes
well let me ask you this uh when you
pray uh what do you pray for primarily
more than likely you’re going to say for
my needs naturally
oh I pray for my friends or people who
are sick or whatever
well
um when you pray
how long do you pray
what do you pray about
and then
how long after you’ve finished talking
do you listen
you see you cannot have an intimate
relationship if you do all the talking
so let me ask you this
The Last Time You Prayed that you stop
and say Lord now that’s my feeling now I
want to hear what you’ve got to say
oh you say well you know God doesn’t
speak to me oh yes he does
his Spirit speaks to your spirit but
you’ve got to be willing to listen
to give him time to speak if you say
your prayer I pray to him and get up off
your knees more than likely if this is
the kind of praying you’re doing you’re
not on your knees anyway but if you just
pray and and the last thing you know you
you go to sleep
you didn’t hear from God
you just voiced your feelings
intimacy means I must be willing to
listen to him
what does he want to say
which brings me to the last one and that
is time
listen a relationship where time and
effort are given to know God
now when people say for example you know
I I would read the Bible but I’m just so
busy I don’t have time or I know I
should spend more time in prayer but I
just don’t have time
I don’t have time I don’t have time I
don’t have time think about what you’re
saying
you’re saying
to the God of this universe the Creator
you sing to The Sovereign of this
universe our sustainer
you’re saying to this God who is that
judge you don’t have time for him
who is the source of every single thing
you have
who desires an intimate relationship
with him it takes time
which means of course
it doesn’t happen overnight
I was fortunate enough growing up
to have gone to see my granddad when I
was about 17. you heard me talk about
that
walked away with Wealthy on the inside
not realizing how wealthy I was
of what I heard him say but I remember
one of the most
impressive things I heard was
God spoke to him
and he listened to God
and he began to tell me the things that
God had done in his life
and when I walked away my question was
God
if you spoke to him that way would you
speak to me if you would work in his
life that way how would you work in my
life I want to hear your God I want you
to show me the truth now did it happen
overnight no it did not but I got in the
word and I began to read and I began to
ask God lord speak to my heart
show me help help me to understand your
voice when it’s you and not me
give me understanding Lord
he makes it very clear
he will show you the truth about himself
he listen he will show you the truth
about himself through his word
but he will also show you the truth
about himself in life
develop a listening heart
a listening spirit
and the reason people make wrong
decisions is because they don’t listen
to him one thing you can bet for sure he
will never mislead you you know why I
know that because he is a god of Purity
righteousness and truthfulness he cannot
deceive he cannot mislead he cannot do
anything
that would be a contradiction to who he
is this very God is living on the inside
of you and the person of the Holy Spirit
he’s there why because it is his spirit
that speaks to our spirit
it is his life connecting to our life
you say well but I’m not I’m not worthy
of all that the next time you feel that
away you just remember this
that the cross is God’s one and final
testimony to his awesome unconditional
love for you no matter what
He does care about you
and he wants to work in your life his
awesome Grace and love and mercy
now those are the characteristics of a
genuine intimate relationship so
somebody says well okay so once I once I
have that relationship uh what what can
I feel what can I sense you see we are
sort of like this well let me give you
some words first of all stability
when a person has an intimate
relationship with the lord it’s like
it’s like that there is an anchor
that’s there that no matter what wind
blows against you
it’s going to be okay because you know
God is there in you and with you
there is this sense of security within
you takes away the fears because he’s
not up yonder he’s inside and you have
this intimate relationship with him so
there’s security that’s the ability
there’s Serenity and that is this
quietness in your spirit
that no matter what’s going on there is
this sense of quietness and peace and
contentment because you’re talking to
him you’re listening to him you have you
have built that relationship
there is also a sensitivity now watch
this there’s not only a sensitivity to
the Lord but there is a sensitive listen
when you have an intimate relationship
with him you you have who he is on the
side of you
you’ll find yourself very sensitive to
other people I don’t mean their
criticism necessarily you might have a
little bit of that but you’ll be
sensitive to their needs their hurts
their personhood they’ll be something in
other words God God listen because God
is in you he’s relating to other people
listen through his Spirit he’s relating
to the need their emotional spiritual
need witnesses to that
and all they can do is give us credit on
what they don’t realize is that God is
working in their life
so when you think about how all this
develops and I think about that
spiritual sensitivity and spiritual
understanding in other words one of the
things that you when you start
developing this intimacy you’re going to
start understanding the word of God in
ways that you’ve never understood it
before why because God wants you to
understand the Bible is not a mystery
book
it’s not a book of philosophy it is a
book of truth that explains the attitude
in the heart of almighty God so that we
can listen because you say we said in
the very beginning he created us to have
relationship with him which required of
him to reveal himself to us through his
word primarily and through our spirit
and to bring us into this intimate
relationship with him
now
there are three barriers so you might
want to jot these down there are three
barriers
and here’s the first one it is pride
we don’t pray because I can handle it
we don’t ask him I’ll work it out
it’s Pride the reason people don’t get
on their knees except their physical
things sometimes is pride
how can you be too prideful to get on
your knees to Holy righteous Sovereign
God
Every Breath You have is a gift from him
somebody says I don’t need to get on my
knees no you don’t
you don’t need to honor God you don’t
need to reverence God but you get what
comes with that it is pride who that
keeps us off our knees Pride that keeps
us in sin we’d rather have a
relationship with somebody than God
the second thing is rebellion
sin
as long as there’s sin in that light
there is no intimacy with God when
people say well I pray but but nothing
happens I pray but God isn’t answering
me I pray then you need to look at
yourself and ask yourself the question
God isn’t the problem you’re the problem
there is no intimacy whether it’s
Rebellion now think about this you have
to think about your own relationships
can you have a intimate relationship
with a husband a wife who’s just
rebellious against you no you cannot
you can’t have a intimate relationship
with your children if they’re in
rebellion in their life
and then the last one
is real simple
if it’s Pride if it’s rebellion and then
if you’re in a hurry
if you’re in a hurry you won’t develop
an intimate relationship with God it
takes time
to read his word
and meditate upon it
think about it ask questions God what
are you saying to me
Lord how does this applaud in my life
is this a warning
is this something that I I need to look
at in my life a Lord thank you for this
wonderful promise
time to read
time to talk to him time to listen to
him
cannot tell you how very important that
is
and you see here’s what will happen
the more you listen
the more you’re going to hear and the
more you hear the more excited you’re
going to be and the more excited you’re
going to be the more time you want to
give to listen to him
now if you’re in love with somebody
you like listening I do
I like listening to a friend of mine I
love listening
he’s willing to tell you far more than
you expect
because you see
knowing that God gave his son for me
I know he’ll give me all the information
and everything else I need
and that’s what Paul meant in Romans
when he said
having given us his son Jesus Christ
will he withhold from us any good thing
and the answer is no
so with that in mind would you say that
you have an intimate relationship with
God
or would you have to say
I missed it
you say when do I start now
think about this all of us one of these
days no matter where we are and whatever
our age our heart’s going to be for the
last time
and we’re going to meet the father
is he going to be a stranger to you
or do you want to have the kind of
intimate relationship
while you’re here in this life
whereby your life can impact the people
around you
not because of what you’re doing but
because of what he living within you
is able to do through you and that is my
prayer for you don’t be satisfied with
less
in your relationship to him
than intimacy
which is the will and purpose and plan
of God for you
and father how grateful we are when we
think about you perfect holy awesome God
having a personal intimate relationship
with Sinners Like Us
but because the blood of your son has
washed us clean and Sanctified us unto
yourself
you’re willing to do it and I pray for
every person who hears this message
create within them this awesome holy
dissatisfaction with where they are
and the hunger to know you in a deeper
way than ever before in Jesus name amen
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