The believer's greatest desire.

Fulfilling an economic desire is part of our natural desire to improve. Many came to this nation to make that desire a reality… Money rules in their lives, like in the days of Ezekiel:

“They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. 32 “Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them.”

Ezekiel 33:31–32 NASB95

“They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. “Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them.

When we purse that as our greatest desire we are in serious spiritual danger:

- When we purse that as our greatest desire we are in serious spiritual danger:

Mark 4:19 NASB95

but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

1 Timothy 6:9 NASB95

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

If we achieve it, we’ll find out that doesn’t produce real satisfaction.

- If we achieve it we’ll find out that doesn’t produce real satisfaction.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3546 Millionaires Seldom Smile

Where is happiness found? John D. Rockefeller, a Christian millionaire, said, “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness. I would barter them all for the days I sat on an office stool in Cleveland and counted myself rich on three dollars a week.” Broken in health, he employed an armed guard.

W. H. Vanderbilt said, “The care of 200 million dollars is too great a load for any brain or back to bear. It is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it.”

John Jacob Astor left five million, but had been martyr to dyspepsia and melancholy. He said, “I am the most miserable man on earth.”

Henry Ford, the automobile king, said, “Work is the only pleasure. It is only work that keeps me alive and makes life worth living. I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job.”

Andrew Carnegie, the multi-millionaire, said, “Millionaires seldom smile.”

It is not a desire for a godly family.

There’s nothing wrong with desiring to see our family receiving Xo and following His steps. On the contrary, how beautiful when entire families surrender their lives to God. Such a beautiful scene is shown in , : two families receiving Christ! (Lydia’s and the jailer’s)

If you have children or relatives who do not know the Lord or are away from His will, there is a great burden in you heart…

Oh how you wish to see them saved! But, should that be your greatest desire?

That’s your desire for the life of others, but how about the greatest desire for your life?

It is not to be perfect in this life.

Some people’s desire is to become a perfect person. That’s impossible…

When Paul understood that reality, he wrote:

Philippians 3:12–13 NASB95

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

- Some people’s desire is to become a perfect person. That’s impossible…

When Paul understood that reality, he wrote:

It is a personal and deep spiritual desire.

After Saul’s spiritual failures, God decided to give the throne to someone with that deep spiritual desire:

Acts 13:22 NASB95

“After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’

d. It is a personal and deep spiritual desire.

Despite all of David’s failures and sins. God gave David a title that no one else in the Bible received: “a man after my heart”.

- Despite all of David’s failures and sins. God gave David a title that no one else in the Bible received: “a man after my heart”.

How is that possible if David killed many, committed adultery and murder, had 2-3 wives and many lovers? God looked beyond his actions, He looked at David’s heart desire.

Such is the desire expressed by David in this psalm:

Psalm 42:1–2 NASB95

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?

Psa 42:1-2

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?”

David’s consuming desire was to please the Lord!

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.”

“With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

“Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You.”

How to pursue that desire?

Longing to know Jesus more.

“My soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirst for God...”

You need to have a burning desire, an insatiable appetite, a tremendous thirst to know more of him.

That’s what psalm 42 is expressing. The deer pants, longs, and need that water to live. Jesus is the water of life.

- That desire goes beyond receiving Christ. It’s intimacy, it’s closeness.

That desire goes beyond receiving Christ. It’s intimacy, it’s closeness.

Paul considered everything else as garbage in comparison with his desire to know Jesus more and more:

Philippians 3:8–11 NASB95

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Seeking time to spend it with Him.

Spending time with him? What’s that? How do you that?

Jesus is the Logos, the incarnated Word. You spend time with Him when you spend time in the Word. You spend time with Him when you meditate in His Word:

Psalm 39:3–4 NASB95

My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: “Lord, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am.

Psa 39:3-4

“My heart was hot within me ,While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: “Lord, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am.”

Compare it to the two disciples on the way to Emaus when Jesus spoke to them:

Luke 24:32 NASB95

They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

You spend time with Him when you talk to Him (prayer).

- You spend time with Him when you talk to Him (prayer).

Desiring with all your soul to do what pleases Him.

Longing after God is not just a matter of knowing more about Him; it is matter of submitting to Him as a slave to his master.

Submission is putting yourself under God’s orders; being willing and prompt to do whatever the Master commands us to do and in the way He commands us to do it.

Illust. Spectrum of disobedient patients (EOI 3922)

We must desire to obey Him at all times!

Our love for Him is proved by our obedience! Our obedience to Him is the highest form of adoration.

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