God Is Seeking You: Answer the One Who Moved First

Introduction

This morning, God is seeking you. That is not just a figure of speech. It is what happens while a brother prays, while a song rises, while the Word is read. From the moment you walked into this place, God has been speaking to you: through praise, through prayers, through spiritual gifts, through a spontaneous song. God speaks. The first time, you obey. The second time, you obey right away.

Stéphane Burgos opens the message with Deuteronomy 30:4: "If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there Yahweh your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back." Even if you are very far away, God comes looking for you. He is self-sufficient. He could easily do without us. He is omniscient (he knows everything); omnipresent (he is everywhere); omnipotent (he is all-powerful). So why does he seek you? Because he loves you. He loves you so much that he gave his one and only Son Jesus as a sacrifice for you.

The whole Bible tells this story. From Genesis to Revelation, God is seeking mankind. In his love and his humility, he limits himself in order to call people to himself. And this morning, he is calling you again. Here are four ways to respond to the One who took the first step.

Sermon Outline

1. Draw near to the throne of grace

Hebrews 4:16 says: "Let's therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need." The passage speaks of a great high priest, Jesus. Why is he greater than all the others? Because he has no successor. The high priests of the Old Testament were sinful and mortal; Jesus is holy and eternal. They always had to bring sacrifices for their own sins; he offered himself once for all to wipe out yours.

This Jesus passed through the heavens (Hebrews 4:14). He left heavenly glory. He was born in Bethlehem, he became a man, he knew weariness, hunger, thirst, temptation. So he can sympathize with your weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). And he overcame the tempter with the very weapon you must use: the Word of God. In the wilderness, at every attack, Jesus quoted Scripture: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4). That perfect communion with the Father is what made him stronger than sin, and it is that same communion you are called to seek.

So you can draw near with boldness. It is your privilege as a child of God. Many people worry first about the guarantees of this world: the house, the health, the car. But there is an insurance policy that is priceless, a heavenly, all-risk coverage on the spiritual level. It is already paid for, by Jesus, at the cross. As Paul says: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39). When Stephen was stoned, he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He had that assurance: life on earth would end, but eternal life goes on.

Be warned: the throne of grace is not eternal. One day it will become a throne of judgment. Revelation 20:11 speaks of the great white throne before which the dead will be judged according to their works, and everyone whose name is not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. Do not put it off until tomorrow. Today is the day of grace. Rush toward that throne. Your needs (health, work, family, a situation with no way out) can be met by the Lord's help. As Psalm 103:13 says: "Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him."

2. Draw near with a sincere heart

Hebrews 10:19-22: "Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh… let's draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our body washed with pure water."

Before the cross, the sanctuary was not open to everyone. The tabernacle was divided into two zones. The holy place (the lampstand, the table of the bread of the presence, the altar of incense) was reserved for the Levite priests, by rotation. The most holy place, behind the veil, where the ark of the covenant stood, could be entered only once a year, and only by the designated high priest. A rope was even tied to his ankle: if he happened to die behind the veil, his body could be pulled out without anyone having to go in after him. The place of God's presence was off-limits.

Then Jesus died on the cross. And the temple veil (several inches thick, unable to be torn by hand) was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). A miracle. It is the proof that Jesus opened the new way into God's holy presence. Today, the most holy place is open to everyone who comes in Christ. Jesus said it himself: "I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture." (John 10:9).

Hebrews 12:2 describes the cross as shame (great public dishonor) that Jesus endured for you. The worst rejection, that of the Father, he bore it to open that road. And now we have one single high priest, not according to the order of Aaron (mortal, temporary), but according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:3 says of Melchizedek that he is "without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life." Christ remains a priest forever. He will have no successor.

So draw near with a sincere heart. No hypocrisy, no dishonesty. Examine your heart. Ask God to test you. You cannot fool him: he sees your heart. Ananias and Sapphira, who were nonetheless believers, came before God with a divided heart, with a lie, and they were severely judged for it (Acts 5:1-11). God does not love a divided heart.

Draw near also in the fullness of faith. This is what Jesus highlights: faith. Mark 11:24 says: "All things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them." When you pray while doubting at the same time, you slow down the work of prayer. We need to train our faith to the point of trusting what God says more than what our eyes show us. That is no longer a faith shaped by what we see; it is a faith that shapes what we see. Your heart must also be cleansed from every evil conscience: every unconfessed sin is like a wall between you and God. Confession restores the relationship. God is faithful to fulfill his promises in his own time.

3. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you

James 4:7-10: "Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you."

The first verb is to submit to God. That is the key to spiritual authority. Many believers want to overcome sin or the evil one, but refuse to submit their lives to the Lord. Yet victory is not possible without submission. On the spiritual level as on the physical level, it is a law: if you do not submit to God, you cannot resist the evil one. The devil does not fear your loud voice; he fears the authority that comes from your submission. Your will often runs in the opposite direction from God's; it needs to be brought back into line. Job 23:12 puts it this way: "I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

Then, take the first step. The enemy will do everything he can to talk you out of it and push you away, because he knows you are about to be blessed. Draw near to God, and the promise is clear: he will draw near to you. If you are submitted and sincere, the enemy will retreat and God will come close.

Purify your heart. No one draws near to God with a careless heart or a mind full of bad thoughts. Our life needs to be in order, aligned with the Word. Some people draw near to the Lord while still living in situations the Bible calls immoral, even if the world has made them ordinary. To draw near with a sincere heart, align your life with the Word. Look at Isaiah: when he saw the vision of the Lord in the temple, he was struck by God's holiness, and an angel came to purify his lips (Isaiah 6:1-7). We need to grasp that same great holiness when we draw near.

Humble yourself. David says in Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, God, you will not despise." This is work we ourselves must do. It is better to humble yourself than to be humbled by God, for God resists the proud. Stay humble. Reject every thought of pride: it will always leave you weak.

4. Draw near to the living stone

1 Peter 2:4-5: "Coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

The living stone is Jesus. We are all small stones gathering around him, the cornerstone, the foundation stone. Men rejected him (the Jews did not recognize their Messiah, the Romans crucified him), but God chose him and declared him precious. And what matters is not what religions or the world say: it is what God says. God says Jesus is precious, and that is what carries the weight.

On the surface, the cross looked like a failure: Jesus dead, the disciples scattered, the crowd mocking. A complete collapse, on the physical level. But on the spiritual level, Colossians 2:15 reveals: "Having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." No one saw it with their own eyes. But we grasp it by faith. The cross is a real victory over sin.

Now we form a spiritual house. That means we must be one for another, in love. There will always be occasions for arguments, divisions, tensions. But in the church, we are brothers and sisters and we must love one another. It is a command from the Lord. We also offer spiritual sacrifices: once it was animals, today it is our praise, our worship, our prayers, "worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). We are a chosen race, a holy nation, a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9): set apart from the world, set apart for God, priests and kings in his service.

Key Takeaways

• God takes the initiative. He could easily do without you, but he seeks you because he loves you. He is the one who took the first step, by giving Jesus.
• The throne of grace is open today. It will not always be: one day it will become a throne of judgment. Do not put it off until tomorrow.
• The veil is torn, the way is open. Jesus, the door, gives you free access into God's holy presence. Draw near with a sincere heart.
• Without submission, there is no spiritual authority. The devil does not flee from your loud voice: he flees from the authority that comes from your submission to the Lord.
• You are a living stone. Gathered around Christ, you and your brothers and sisters form a spiritual house that offers praise, prayer, and worship.

Personal Application

• In what "exile" (spiritual, moral, relational) is God coming to find me today? Will I answer his call, or put it off until tomorrow?
• Am I drawing near to the throne of grace with boldness, or am I letting an unconfessed sin block my prayer? What do I need to confess this morning?
• In what area does my will run opposite to God's? Am I willing to bend my will to his Word, like Job (23:12)?
• Where does my faith let itself be shaped by what my eyes see rather than by what God says? What promise will I choose to believe this week, against the appearances?
• As a living stone, how am I concretely contributing to building up my church, in love, prayer, worship, and service?

Bible References

• Deuteronomy 30:4 · "From there Yahweh your God will gather you… and from there he will bring you back."
• Hebrews 4:14-16 · The great high priest; let us draw near with boldness.
• Matthew 4:4 · "Man shall not live by bread alone…"
• Romans 8:38-39 · Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
• Revelation 20:11-15 · The great white throne of judgment.
• Psalm 103:13 · "Like a father has compassion on his children."
• Hebrews 10:19-25 · Free entry by the blood of Jesus; let us draw near with a sincere heart.
• Matthew 27:51 · The temple veil torn from top to bottom.
• John 10:9 · "I am the door."
• Hebrews 12:2 · Jesus despised the shame of the cross.
• Hebrews 7:3 · Melchizedek, a priest forever.
• Mark 11:24 · "Believe that you have received them, and you shall have them."
• Acts 5:1-11 · Ananias and Sapphira, divided hearts.
• James 4:7-10 · Submit to God, draw near, humble yourselves.
• Job 23:12 · "I have treasured up the words of his mouth."
• Isaiah 6:1-7 · The vision of the Lord in the temple.
• Psalm 51:17 · "A broken and contrite heart, God, you will not despise."
• 1 Peter 2:4-9 · The living stone, the spiritual house, the royal priesthood.
• Colossians 2:15 · The cross, victory over the powers.
• John 4:24 · Worshiping in spirit and truth.

FAQ

Why does God seek me when he is completely self-sufficient?

Because he loves you. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent: he could easily do without you. But in his love and humility, he chooses to call people to himself. He showed this by giving his one and only Son Jesus (John 3:16) and by promising, all the way back in Deuteronomy 30:4, to come find you even at the far end of the heavens. It is not your merit that sets his search in motion: it is his love.

What does it actually mean to "draw near to the throne of grace"?

It means coming to God with boldness (Hebrews 4:16), knowing that Jesus, your great high priest, has already paid the price. In practice, you confess your sins, you bring your needs (health, work, family, a situation that feels like a dead end), and you wait for the Lord's help. That throne is open today; it will not always be. Do not put it off until tomorrow.

Why is submission to God the condition for resisting the devil?

Because James 4:7 sets the order: submit first, then resist. The devil does not fear your loud voice; he fears the authority that comes from your submission to the Lord. Without that submission, you have no spiritual authority. Align your will with the Word, as Job did (23:12), take the first step toward God, and he will draw near to you.