TLDR;
This sermon explores the concept of seeking God's face and understanding one's own insufficiency to fully participate with God. It highlights the importance of acknowledging limitations, carrying your mind along in spiritual processes, and understanding how God communicates through inspiration and revelation. The sermon also touches on the practical aspects of seeking God's will in decision-making and the benefits of having God's "insurance policy" in life.
- Understanding all-sufficiency of God versus human insufficiency.
- The experience of being stretched beyond limits ("Asia") leads to recognising incapacity.
- Seeking God's face involves securing His position on issues, wisdom for complex problems, and present revelation.
- Carrying your mind along with your spirit is crucial for receiving relevant feedback from God.
- Revelation precedes wisdom experientially, and God uses various channels like dreams and inspiration.
Introduction: The All-Sufficiency of God [0:00]
The speaker introduces the concept of "Elada," which means "the strong, the multi-breasted, the one that sustains all but is sustained by none," signifying God's all-sufficiency. He contrasts this with human insufficiency, explaining that God deliberately created this arrangement so that humans would seek to participate with Him. This participation becomes easier when one recognises their own limitations and helplessness without God.
The Lesson of Asia: Recognising Incapacity [0:48]
Drawing from 2 Corinthians 1:8, the speaker discusses Paul's experience in Asia, where he faced immense pressure beyond his strength, leading him to despair even of life. This experience taught him to trust in God rather than himself. The speaker explains that God allows individuals to be stretched beyond their limits to help them see the end of themselves and recognise their incapacity. This recognition is essential for participating with God. Those who haven't faced their "Asia" may give up easily when seeking God, failing to persevere until they find what they're seeking.
Seeking the Face of God: Securing Divine Perspective [5:29]
The speaker outlines what it means to seek the face of God, referencing 2 Corinthians 4:6. It involves securing the Lord's position on an issue of controversy, seeking wisdom about complex issues that defy human wisdom, securing the present revelation position of the spirit about an issue, and seeking the mind of God concerning things, persons, and situations. He uses the example of a woman seeking guidance on a marriage proposal, emphasising the importance of not growing weary and trusting in God's insights.
Operating by Heaven's Insurance Policy [9:18]
Seeking the Lord's light is described as operating under heaven's insurance policy, where God handles the liabilities. If you seek God's will before making a decision, such as marriage, God is more willing to help when problems arise because He was involved from the beginning. This involvement allows God to troubleshoot the system and provide solutions.
Carrying Your Mind in Spiritual Processes [10:39]
The speaker stresses the importance of carrying your mind along with your spirit when seeking God's face. Unlike praying in tongues, which can be done without mental focus, seeking God's face requires both spiritual and mental engagement. It takes discipline to keep your mind focused during prayer, bringing it back whenever it wanders. With consistent effort over about six months, one can train their mind to stay focused during spiritual seeking.
The Feedback Mechanism: Inspiration and Illumination [14:14]
The speaker explains how God communicates during the process of seeking His face, referencing 2 Corinthians 4:6. God shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, which is in the face of Jesus. This involves God lighting His candle (your human spirit) and inspiring your spirit, with the ultimate goal of overwhelming your mind. If your mind is not engaged, you may receive feedback unrelated to your specific request. Skill in this area allows you to "trap" the inspiration and ask more questions, leading to a face-to-face encounter with Jesus.
The Experience of Seeing the Face of God [21:21]
The speaker describes the experience of seeing the face of God as bringing ventilation, rest, and taking away anxiety, fear, and worry. While the explanation may seem intellectual, it provides a framework for embarking on one's own spiritual adventure.
Ephesians 1:15-17: Revelation and Wisdom [22:18]
Referring to Ephesians 1:15-17, the speaker notes that revelation comes before wisdom experientially. Revelation opens you to the spirit realm, and wisdom interprets what you have seen. God can use various channels to reach you, such as dreams or inspiration, and you cannot dictate which channel He will use. Understanding your own spiritual history and the channels through which God operates in your life is crucial for maximising your spiritual gifts. The spirit of revelation opens you to the spirit realm, and the spirit of wisdom interprets what you have seen, resulting in the knowledge that God is passing on to you.