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- · Gen :1-3 God created heaven and earth – note The Spirit brooded over the waters – caring / salvation. God is good…..all the time…..that’s the way God is - the model for all parents dealing with their children.
·
- even before man’s existence God cared for and planned to take care of mankind to begin pursuit
- Dictionary.com definition of “pursuit”
1.
The act or an instance of chasing or pursuing.
2. The act of striving: the pursuit of higher
education.
3. An activity, such as a vocation or hobby,
engaged in regularly.
- out of desire for fellowship and deep caring - established first a place for man and gave him everything he needed – you only pursue what you care about.
examples -
Adam / Eve –
Disobedience in Garden
·
Gen
3:9 “where are you?” – among God’s first dealing’s/man – He
had relationship (Gen 3:21) – walked in cool of day
·
When
Adam disobeyed, God started relentless pursuit of mankind
Dictionary.com
re·lent·less–adjective - that does
not relent; unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting: —Synonyms
rigid, unbending, obdurate, adamant, unyielding.
 |
unrelenting, unyielding pursuit |
- God without giving up – does not care about emotion – unyielding – does not give up
·
Adam
said “we are hiding because we are naked” – at that point (they didn’t realize
it) they were spiritually naked – without God – vulnerable.
·
Gen.
3:21 - God took care of them – made clothes for them from animal skins –
already taking care of them. Begins pursuit – even though fallen state.
·
Gen.
22:7-8 Abraham knew God would provide either through
his son or His Son – Abraham did not know specifically about Jesus, but knew
God would reward obedience and provide one way or other.
·
Gen.
22:10-13 – Abraham /
Isaac – God provided sacrifice (His compassion – He found one man faithful) –
Was God bound to sac. Jesus since Abe willing to sac. Isaac? (would God be
outdone – “no man is greater than his master”)
·
Took
care of Noah (preserve Noah and family – as well as pursuing and preserving mankind)
·
God
takes care of man, throughout history,
in ALL dealings with mankind regardless of degree of Love. God is Love – 1 John 4:8 –
everything He does - whether it seems like it or not, is done out of love. –
IT HIS NATURE!
·
rescued
nation from Egypt
·
provided
means for escape – Pharaoh – Red Sea
·
gave
them manna, quail, water
·
Duet
30:19 told them what
was good for them and then told them what to choose/do
(life-death - choose life)….not only physical but spiritual
·
even
though trip took longer than it should have God took care of them and got them
there
·
Through
tough love – a cycle of God punishing and man coming back and the falling away
again - etc. etc. He (God) pursued (pursues) man relentlessly because of
unquenchable desire to have relationship with him.
·
God
made final sacrifice for us – taking care of and providing sacrifice in His
Son (Him) for us – we can not be good enough or take care of ourselves.
·
How
to accept His help – Rom 10:9…Eph 2:-9
·
His
pursuit so relentless He made it about Him – not us
·
He
knew and we proved time and time again He would have to do redemptive work for
us.
·
One
final plea for us – Rev 3:20 (door of heart and knock) (pursue/knock example)
·
Rev
22:13 – Alpha & Omega – 1st and last to say about our lives –
·
Eph 1:4 foundations of earth 1st thing to say
·
John
3:17-18 – last thing
(JUDGED ALREADY)
·
God
does not know time – past, present and future are all the same. So “where are
you”
has same relevance today to us as it
did to Adam
·
He
always pursues us – it’s His Nature / up to us to answer call (at the door of
our hearts) –
·
Heb
11:6-7 - When we
respond the circle of pursuit begins
He rewards us with his presence
·
throughout
the Bible God seems less interested in proving existence but more interested in
showing what He is like.
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