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The Purpose of Encounter

Encounters
part 4
The purpose of Encounter

Matthew 17:1 “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.”

verse 4 “4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

verse 5  “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

The more I see God for who he is, the more I am going to be compelled to share God with those who have not seen him.

Acts 3:1-10 “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

  1. See what others don’t see

Verse 4 says “They looked straight at him.”

  1. Hear what others don’t hear

Verse 3-6 “When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

"Yes" = really means No
"No" = also really means No
"Maybe" = you guessed it still means No
"I'm sorry" = actually means You'll be sorry
"We need" = really means I want
"It's your decision" = The correct decision should be obvious by now
"Do what you want" = You'll pay for this later
"We need to talk" = I need to complain
"Sure go ahead" = I don't really want you to and if you do you won’t hear the end of it.
"I'm not upset" = Of course I'm upset, you idiot!
"You're so manly" = You need a shave and you sweat a lot
"This kitchen is so inconvenient" = I want a whole new house
"I want new curtains" = Actually means new curtains and new carpeting, and furniture, and wallpaper, or maybe just I want a new house.
"I heard a noise" = I noticed you were almost asleep
"Do you love me?" = I'm going to ask for something expensive
"How much do you love me?" = I did something today you're going to hate
"I'll be ready in a minute" = Just go ahead and watch a movie or something cause it’s going to be at least an hour.
"You have to learn to communicate" = Just agree with me

  1. Say what other won’t say

Verse 4-6 “Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

  1. Reach who others won’t reach

Acts 3:2
“Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate”




Acts 2

Encounters
Part 3
Acts 2


Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

verse 5-6 “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken”

  1. The Holy Spirit gives you power to share Christ boldly.

Acts 1:8
“you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses…”

Acts 2:14 “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd…”

I Corinthians 2:4-5
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but, my message came with the demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but instead on God’s power.”

2. The Holy Spirit will give you power when you are weak.

Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.”

verse 26-27 “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. For where I am weak, then I am strong.

3. The Holy Spirit will give you power to have hope in a hopeless world.

Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

4. The Holy Spirit will give you the power to experience all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

How do I get this power?

1. Remove all the barriers.

2. Request the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 11:9-13 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask[e] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

3. Receive Him by faith

Pool of Bethesda

Pool of Bethesda

We need an encounter, not just an explanation.
We need power not just words.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”

John 5:1-9 “Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.’

1. The longer you wait, the more DISCOURAGED you become

2. The longer you wait, the more EXCUSES you make

verse 6 “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

3. The longer you wait, the more you learn to LIVE WITH IT.

verse 6
“Do you want to be well?”

1. Remove the excuses

2. Release your past experiences

3. Respond to Jesus

verse 8 “Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.’

Isaiah’s Encounter

Encounters
Part 1
Isaiah’s Encounter

We need an encounter, not just an explanation.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”

Isaiah 6:1-8 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “
Here am I. Send me!

3 things about An Encounter with God…

1. Changes the way I see God

Isaiah 6:1 NIV
“I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple”

verse 2-3 “Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

2.Changes the way I see me

verse 1 “I see the Lord and He is high and lifted up”.

verse 5 “I’m doomed for I am a sinful man…”
2 Chronicles 7:14 “14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

verse 6-7 “Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

3. Changes the way I see the world

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

How do we prepare for God’s presence?

Matthew 18:19-20
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

1. Agree in faith:

verse 19 “if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

2. Gather faithfully:

verse 20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

3. Trust in God’s faithfulness

verse 20
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”