Connecting with God

Mark 1:35-39

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

 

Jesus is an interesting person to consider. It’s hard to look at His life and draw straight line comparisons to other people, or to ourselves. But we should be doing that. Straight line, not excuses. Now, everybody is not the same, but Jesus is living as a man. He is the Son of God, the unique Son of God, but He is living as a man, subject to all of what a human being is subject to. I include limited knowledge as a definite part of that.

Phil 2: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

He did not hang on to His equality with God. He gave that up. How is that possible? That is the mystery of the incarnation. You might ask yourself what was harder, dying on the Cross or accepting the thirty three years of humanity before that. After the nine months in Mary’s womb. So, don’t disrespect Jesus’ decision to set aside His divinity because you don’t understand it.

  1. He made Himself nothing.
  2. He took the very nature of a servant.
  3. He is made in human likeness.
  4. He humbled Himself further by dying on the Cross.

 

Jesus needs to be connected to God in His regular life. He has the Holy Spirit anoint Him for ministry at His baptism and in order to stay sane and on task, He works to stay connected to God. How does He do this? This is the point of this message.

We are going to begin by thinking about the need for Jesus to be connected to the Father. (Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.)

  1. Jesus is Super Busy

 

  1. Because He has truth to share

He came to seek and save that which was lost. This is an     important job. He announces the kingdom of God and He   instructs people on the pathway to life. “I am the Way, the Truth     and the Life!” “How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? If you   have seen Me, you have seen the Father!”

 

  1. Because He has the ability to help others

A means to an end. Jesus went about doing good.

Acts 10:37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

There are any number of options of where He could go. He has lots of options! He will stay in a Jewish context. (Come for the lost sheep of Israel.)

 

  1. Because people are coming for help

        There is no end to this. Since the word has gotten out, there are people clamoring for help as He goes along. Next story, a man who is a leper. Woman bleeding. Zacchaeus. Centurion. Feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000.

It would be easy to get bogged down. And you can’t stop helping to get alone, you won’t be able to get alone.  But You have to be able to get alone so you can hear from God and not be driven by people and their immediate needs!

 

  1. Jesus is not Driven by People

 

  1. He prioritizes hearing from God

The busier you are, the more you need to hear. It becomes more         important that you do what is important. Eventually you will find yourself needing to know that you are doing what it is that God        wants you to do. Ministering to people can be a trap! There is a river of life in every circumstance. And there is a river of false   life.

 

  1. Jesus seeks God’s wisdom

James 1: trials: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Wisdom: What time is it? The most stress in life comes from       having two positive options.

Romans 12:2 Prove the will of God naturally by having your       thinking renewed by following Jesus!

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be         transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be      able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good,     pleasing and perfect will.

Ask: Review the plan. Listen. Be moving. Be humble.

Believe and Act: It is more important that you are moving than that you are right. God is involved in the process.

 

  1. Jesus is not about Himself

This example here.

The choosing of the twelve. (He gets alone)

The death of his cousin (He gets alone)

The Garden of Gethsemane (He gets alone)

 

Jesus waited for Lazarus to die!

Jesus heals the man born blind etc.

John 5: 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

“I do what I see the Father doing”

 

III. Jesus is Led by the Spirit

 

  1. He doesn’t know what is next

This is why He gets alone. In order for Him to be led, He must be         receiving new information as He goes along.

 

  1. The process of hearing today is a priority

Let’s roll!

The story of the passengers who brought down the plan in   Pennsylvania during 9/11. Flight 93

A total of 13 passengers made 37 phone calls. Through their phone conversations, they learned of the first two attacks, and subsequently took quick action. Pushed to the back of the plane by hijackers, the passengers and crew took a vote – and decided to fight back to try and regain control of their airplane. As a result of phone calls made from on board Flight 93 and from the cockpit voice recorder recovered at the crash site, we learn of the struggle the passengers and crew members had with their hijackers which began in the skies over Western Pennsylvania, and ended with the high-speed crash of the plane in a reclaimed strip mine near Shanksville, just 18 minutes flying time from Washington, DC. Countless lives were spared thanks to their heroic actions, but all on board Flight 93 were lost.

Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.

 

Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?

 

Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out.

 

  1. He acts on what He hears

        38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 

God gives the energy for us to do what He wants us to do. People tend to take from others. We are called to be givers. God will energize us if we will let Him. Get with Him!