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Mar 03, 2019

Seek God's Heart Not Just His Hand

Seek God's Heart Not Just His Hand

Speaker: Dennis Gallaher

Series: The Heart of Freedom Fellowship

Category: Sunday Morning

In this series, we discover the qualities that the Lord has placed on Freedom Fellowship Church. Today: Seek God's Heart Not Just His Hand.

In this series, we discover the seven non-negotiables of Freedom Fellowship:

  • #1 Intimacy with God and Intimacy with others (Feb 17)
  • #2 People are Priority (Feb 24)
  • #3 Seek God's Heart Not Just His Hand (this week)

Luke 9:37-43 The story of a man with a demon-possessed son - a lunatic. The exhausted father begged Jesus for help. In verse 41, Jesus replies with, "You unbelieving and perverted generation. How long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." 

Why that answer? Verse 37 says that a large crowd met Him. Jesus sends a rebuke that was heard all the way to the back of that crowd. So maybe that rebuke was meant for those that were there to see the hand of God but didn't care at all about the heart of God. 

Is it possible that church decline in the U.S. is because, for years now, we have been teaching people to seek after God's hand instead of knowing God's heart? Just like that crowd that day, people walk away empty because God wants us to seek His heart, not just His hand. But still . . . 

  • God is a miracle working God!
  • God is a healer!
  • God does deliver and restore!  

But our goal at Freedom Fellowship is not to be the institutional church, but the missional church.

  • Institutional church:
    • church centered
    • growth-oriented
    • a place for doing ministry
    • performance based theology
  • Missional church:
    • people centered
    • transformational driven
    • a place to be a disciple (to grow)
    • a loving God/loving people lifestyle

People today don't know the real Jesus. They know a historical Jesus. They don't know a contemporary Jesus for the here and now. In order to seek the heart and not the hand, you've got to know the real Jesus.

  • A Savior with a heart for you.
  • A friend that loves all the time.
  • A companion who never leaves, never forsakes.
  • A Lord who serves you and washes your stinky feet.

Some view Jesus as:

  • A Divine inspector looking for a pass or fail result
  • Being disappointed by you never being good enough measured by a standard you have decided
  • Distant - too busy, distracted, listening with one ear

But the real Jesus is:

  • not inspecting you - John 8:11 Who is it that condemns you? Not me."
  • not disappointed in you. Ephesians 1: v3 He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing. v4 He chose you in Him. v5 He predestined His adoption of you. v6 You are sealed with the Holy Spirit!
  • not distant from you. John 14:16-18 I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper...the Spirit of truth - the Holy Spirit...I will not leave you orphans! I will come to you!

Remember Jesus' words in the Upper Room: John 13:33 I'm leaving... John 13:36 You're staying... John 17:15 The devil is here with you... John 16:7 But the Holy Spirit is coming!

To know the heart of God begins by knowing, accepting, and rejoicing in His heart for you. Thank Him today, for loving you so well. 

Jesus prayed for the church, not for the lost. John 17 He knew that if we love the real Jesus and love like He loves, then evangelism would happen. Jesus is praying for you right now. 

Matthew 11:28 Come unto Me, all who have worked themselves into exhaustion and I will give you rest. 


How do you see Freedom Fellowship and why? (missional vs institutional)

How do you view Jesus? inspector, disappointed, distant?

How do you seek God's heart? How do you seek God's hand? Why is His heart more important?