2 years ago

Sunday Morning Preaching on Knowing and Serving God
November 20 2022

How Close Can We Get to God?
Text: 2Corinthians 4:6

Intro:
proximity we are going to studying about today - spiritual
- (v.18) things seen (material) = temporal; unseen (immaterial/spiritual) = eternal

Ministry is close to God - How are we placed in it?
- We are recipient of God’s mercy
- also - a picture of people close to God - servants of God

Our condition in the ministry God’s provision through this

Troubled (on every side) not distressed
Perplexed not in despair
Persecuted not forsaken
cast down not destroyed
We do not faint (v.1, 16)

Steps how to do this (get close to God)
1. (v2) Renounce
a. hidden things of dishonesty
b. craftiness
c. Deception – especially in handling the Word of God!
2. (v2) Commend (Present as worthy of regard, kindness, or confidence)
a. to every man's conscience
b. in the sight of God
3. (v3) Acknowledge the existence of the contrary
a. The lost
b. rejection of the gospel
c. the devil is actively working – blinding the minds of the lost
4. (v5) Focus on the Lord Jesus
a. Preach Christ, not somebody else, not ourselves
b. Preach ourselves as servants
c. Preach for Christ’s sake
The Face
What’s in a face?
- It’s personal
- It represents the person himself
- Face-to-face = within each other’s presence; involving close contact