August 24, 2025

 HOW IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS APPROACHING GOD
8/3/25         How’s Your Walk with the Lord
8/10/25      How Well Have I Loved
8/17/25      Walk in the Ancient Paths by the Spirit
 
Approach God in cleanliness
Ecc. 5:1    “Guard your steps as you go to the house of God…”
  • One of the strongest attacks from the enemy is at the church doors
 
                 “…sacrifice of fools”
  • Most people go to church just to see what they can get out of God, not what they can give God.
  • “This is what I want; I want is NOW.”
  • It’s easy to give God what we want to give vs what he wants us to give
                                                                                                                 w/Prov. 15:8
  • God doesn’t want junk.
 
Approach God to listen
Ecc. 5:1    “…approach to listen…”
        5:2    “Do not be quick with your mouth…”
  • “…tongue defiles the whole body…” (Jms. 3:6)
  • “…no one can tame the tongue…” (Jms. 3:8)
  • “…tongue is full of deadly poison…” (Jms. 3:8)
 
        5:3    “…dreams come through much effort…voice of a fool
                      through many words.”
        5:6    “Do not let your speech cause you to sin…”
                 “…on account of your voice…destroy the work of your hands?”

Approach God willing to truly sacrifice
Ecc. 5:4    “…make a vow to God…Pay what you vow!”
        5:7    “Dreams…words…futility.”
                 “Rather, fear God.”
 
Approach God in humility
Matt. 6:5 “…the hypocrites…stand and pray…so they can be seen.”
  • “The more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike in in others. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
           ‘Pride must die in us, or Christ cannot live in us.’

Approach God in intimacy          
Matt 6:6 “…pray to your Father who is in secret…”
 
Heb. 4:14-15 (God is relational to us)
4:16 “…approach the throne of grace with confidence…”

Approach God in innocence          
Matt. 6:7 “…thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do…because of their
                     many words.”
 
1 Peter 2:2 “…like newborn babies…”
 
How we approach God affects how we approach His cross

  • Recognize the love, mercy and forgiveness the cross stands for
  • Recognize God’s glory through the cross
  • Recognize that we are called to that same humility and submission to crucify our lives in service to Him