Moving Ever Closer to Jesus
David Wilkerson emphasizes the necessity of drawing closer to God to experience His abundant grace and presence in our lives.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the urgent need for Christians to draw closer to God in worship, obedience, and diligence as the Lord prepares to pour out His Spirit in these last days. He warns against the distractions of modern life that lead to spiritual laziness and encourages believers to devote more time to God, assuring them that as they seek His kingdom, they will experience His abundant blessings. Wilkerson highlights God's desire to fill His people with His presence and glory, urging them to cultivate a ravenous appetite for Him and to abound in their spiritual walk. He reminds the congregation that God's plans for them exceed their current experiences and that their prayer lives should be transformed into a continuous dialogue with God.
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The Lord is preparing to pour out his Spirit on his people in these last days and I know you want to have a part in it. In order for this to happen, we must move ever closer to him -- in our worship, obedience and diligence. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8).
Multitudes of Christians allot hours for indulging in sports, movies, shopping, pleasures of all kinds, but they devote to God an ever-diminishing amount of time, resulting in laziness of spirit. But God's grace toward us is boundless. Jesus assures us, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). The message here is clear: Devote more of yourself to him and he will pour out his glory on you.
God longs to do for us "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). This is why he wants a people who have a ravenous appetite for him. He wants to fill you with his awesome presence, beyond anything you have experienced in your lifetime.
Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
"We urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God" (1 Thessalonians 4:1).
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The Greek word for abound means to exceed, excel -- to have enough and to spare, over and above, excessive, exceedingly abundantly above, beyond measure. Paul is saying, "God's glory in your life is going to exceed the little moments you have had up until now. Your prayers are no longer going to be just asking a blessing over your meals. You are going to pray morning, noon and night."
Sermon Outline
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I
- The importance of drawing near to God
- God's promise to draw near to us
- The necessity of worship and obedience
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II
- The distractions of modern life
- The diminishing time devoted to God
- The impact of laziness of spirit
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III
- God's boundless grace
- The call for a ravenous appetite for God
- Experiencing God's awesome presence
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IV
- The abundant life promised by Jesus
- The call to abound in good works
- The meaning of abounding in the Greek context
Key Quotes
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” — David Wilkerson
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” — David Wilkerson
“God's glory in your life is going to exceed the little moments you have had up until now.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Dedicate specific time each day for prayer and worship to strengthen your relationship with God.
- Identify and minimize distractions in your life that take away time from your spiritual growth.
- Cultivate a desire for God's presence by actively seeking Him in every aspect of your life.