(Clip) We Need to Experience God
Lee Dodd emphasizes the vital need for Christians to personally experience and relish the love of God beyond mere intellectual understanding to sustain spiritual vitality.
This sermon emphasizes the danger Christians face in losing sight of God amidst the wonders of His Word, urging believers to cultivate a personal relationship with God. It highlights the Apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 for the church to have the strength to comprehend the surpassing love of Christ, emphasizing the experiential aspect of this love. The sermon warns against seeking emotional fulfillment from earthly things rather than from the presence and love of God, stressing the importance of regularly experiencing the love of Christ to avoid spiritual danger.
Full Transcript
A.W. Tozer warns in saying, we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word. We have almost forgotten that God is a person and as such can be relationally cultivated as any person can be. In Ephesians 3, we have the Apostle Paul telling the church that he is praying for them that what? They would have the strength to know, to comprehend, to grasp, to understand, to acknowledge the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
Surpasses knowledge. Yes, it is a love to be experienced as much as it is a love to be understood. So please, brethren, do not fear what you should not live without.
John Flavel, the English Puritan, speaking of Romans 5:5, he said this, ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer's soul and they promote the believer's sanctification. We were not meant to live without spiritual exhilaration. And the Christian who goes for a long time without the experience of heartwarming will soon find himself tempted to have his emotions satisfied from earthly things and not as he ought from the Spirit of God.
He goes on to say, the soul is so constituted that it craves fulfillment from things outside itself and will embrace earthly joys for satisfaction when it cannot reach spiritual ones. The believer then is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting of the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of a Savior's presence. That is quite the statement and warning.
Did you hear him? When was the last time, brothers and sisters, that you laid there in bed at night and your thoughts began to muse upon the love of Jesus Christ for you? And you began to think, as Paul was thinking in Galatians 2:20, that that's My Savior who loved me and gave Himself for me. And there, in the dark of the night, you began to be stirred. You got a little emotional.
And you began to be overwhelmed at the notion, why me, God? Why me? And there you lay, relishing, delighting in the love of Jesus Christ for you. When was the last time?
Sermon Outline
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I
- Warning from A.W. Tozer about losing God in knowledge
- God as a relational person to be cultivated
- Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 for knowing Christ's love
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II
- John Flavel's teaching on spiritual ecstasy and delight
- Necessity of spiritual exhilaration for sanctification
- Danger of seeking earthly satisfaction over spiritual
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III
- The soul's craving for fulfillment beyond itself
- Spiritual danger of prolonged absence of God's love experience
- Call to meditate on Christ's love personally and emotionally
Key Quotes
“We have almost forgotten that God is a person and as such can be relationally cultivated as any person can be.” — Lee Dodd
“Ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer's soul and they promote the believer's sanctification.” — Lee Dodd
“The believer then is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting of the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of a Savior's presence.” — Lee Dodd
Application Points
- Make time regularly to meditate deeply on the love of Jesus Christ to nurture your spiritual life.
- Guard against prolonged spiritual dryness by seeking the felt presence and comfort of God.
- Recognize that knowing about God is not enough; cultivate a personal and emotional relationship with Him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it important to experience God's love and not just know about it?
Experiencing God's love brings spiritual exhilaration that sustains and sanctifies the believer, preventing reliance on earthly things for satisfaction.
What does A.W. Tozer warn about regarding Christians and God's Word?
He warns that Christians risk losing a personal relationship with God by focusing too much on knowledge rather than relational experience.
How does John Flavel describe the believer's need for spiritual delight?
He states that ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer's soul and promote sanctification.
What spiritual danger does the sermon highlight?
The danger of going for long periods without experiencing the love of Christ, which can lead to seeking fulfillment in earthly things.
How can believers cultivate a deeper experience of God's love?
By meditating on Christ's love personally, allowing themselves to be emotionally stirred and delighting in His presence regularly.