Faith’s Intention – The Single Eye of Focus
Recap: Moses pitched his tent outside the camp, Issac went back and dug up the wells of Abraham his father, the 10 virgins, and Jesus outside the door of the church knocking.
The finished work – Jesus sits down, and all things are yours... yet we find that we do not possess all things. The land is Israel’s, yet they must drive the enemy out in order to experience it.
Paul will later unveil the battle is in the mind where alienation and separation occur.
People will use words like breakthrough, next level, more Lord, yet God honors their faith, and many receive. (Pioneers of faith had horrible theology)
Jesus and the finished work, in the western world is always reduced to a technic.
I call these works, things to do in order to get... religion is built on this.
New age thrives on technics. (mysticism)
Christology is Jesus the sum of all things. All things will be gathered up in Him. We started “In Christ” and we will end “In Christ” and in between is our “In Christness”
John 14:20 – is Jesus unveiling our union.
Yet many have taken off with this as, I am my own god and can now operate alone, as a divine entity using methods and technics to get what I want.
Union is one with the Godhead, distinct, yet never apart. Paul called it the mystery that is now revealed, Christ in us the hope of glory.
Abiding Vs. apartness (apart from me you can do nothing. If God does not build the house, we labor in vain.) Adam was in partnership with God on the earth, an ambassador.
We have a mystical union, an organic experience that enables us to encounter all we have as an inheritance.
Turning Jesus’ teachings into methods, technics, mere works, is becoming religious and new age (Gnosticism) We miss the organic union of hearing Him, seeing Him and encountering Him.
Manifestations happen when Jesus is encountered.
Presence vs no presence. (Which is it?) How is Jesus outside the church knocking when he is omnipresent?
Jesus is in me but I’m empty, Jesus said out of my belly is rivers of living water yet I'm dry.
The church in Ephesus and Laodicean.
Works, methods, technics replace the personal Jesus and His presence.
They cause me to act outside of the union. When in fact it is out from union I act in accordance with what He is saying and doing.
Jesus, “I do nothing unless I see or hear my Father” This is true union, with, never apart.
If we go rogue, we can expect the glory to depart, the vessels to be empty, Jesus pushed outside the church, the wells to get full of garbage.
Faith is intentional. Just saying you have it does not mean you will encounter it. (Money in the bank) I must connect personally with Jesus, not rely on a technic. Jesus is the money, He is the bank, He is the teller. In Him is the fulness of_________ fill in the blank. (Glass of water Illustration)
Theology that is relational and encountering, theology that is Jesus.
Keep the fire burning, cultivate the oil by staying in close proximity of the Lord, His love, His intent. How? Live out of union. Never see yourself apart.
In your mind, there should be no difference between you and the disciples in relating to Jesus. Thier encounters are as real as yours.