What do we consider an encounter with God?
Is it only real if we FEEL something super deeply?

We create expectations for what we want out of church, God, prayer, etc., and when we don't get it, we give up.

● We never came for Jesus, we came for something we could get from Jesus
 
● I don’t need an emotional release or some big prophetic event to know God loves me
● I just need faith
 
● God doesn’t need my emotions, he doesn’t need my tears; all he wants from me is faith
● See, because faith is stronger than emotions, stronger than feelings
 
● And sometimes a strong faith comes with a lot of feelings

● But I don't have faith in the way Jesus makes me feel. My faith is in the person of Jesus himself
 
2 Chronicles 7:14-15 
'and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. My eyes will now be open and my ears attentive to prayer from this place. '
 
● Notice what he said, my people, who bear my name, if you would just humble yourself, pray, and seek my face
● Easier said than done  


● We have this thing that always wants to get in the way of our access with God
● This flesh, this animal nature, I'm convinced it hates the supernatural, I am convinced it hates the things of God
● It's the reason everyone is so scared to death of speaking in tongues because our flesh hates the things of God
● The flesh hates the things that it can't understand, and it can’t feel
 
● Humble yourself, pray, and seek my face
● Humility is swallowing the razorblades of pride and seeking the face of God when you don't feel him, or see him
● But you have faith anyway

 
Why does the scripture say to seek his face?
 
John 6 
● Jesus and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee after he had been performing all sorts of miracles, and A HUGE crowd was following him, and it was about to be the Jewish passover festival
● So there is this huge crowd coming toward Jesus, and they are hungry
● And the disciples are like, where are we gonna get the money to get food for all of them?

John 6:8 - 14 CSB 
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish — but what are they for so many? ” 10Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand. 11Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated — so also with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” 13So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten. 14When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
 
John 6:22 -29 
22The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw there had been only one boat. , They also saw that Jesus had not boarded the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone off alone. 23Some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here? ” 26Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.” 28“What can we do to perform the works of God? ” they asked.  29Jesus replied, “This is the work of God — that you believe in the one he has sent.”
 
● This is God saying - whatever is going on, you need to seek my face instead of what I can give you
● They were so worried about getting food from Jesus, they missed the point that he was God, and the answer to everything
● He is our salvation

The definition of Goodness 
● He is Jehovah Jireh, He provides everything
● Did the word not say he would prepare a table for us in the wilderness?
● Here is what happens when we search for what Jesus can give us, instead of searching for Him
 
● When you have moments where you don't have what you were searching for, Faith crumbles
● Now you are thinking God's abandoned you
 
● The work of God isn’t in what he can give you, it is in the person
● Seek the face of the living, breathing, resurrected Christ Jesus
● Put your faith in him, and your faith will stay strong. He is the solid rock
● Putting your faith in what he can give you is building your foundation in the sand, when the storms come, your faith crumbles


● But when you put your faith in the rock, in the strong firm foundation of the Person of Jesus Christ, it is immovable
Hebrews 13:8 CSB Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
 
● When you put your faith in the person, a byproduct of that is God's provision, is intimacy with Christ, is the peace found in the person, is the Joy of the Lord found in the Lord
● First seek the face of God, put your faith in the person, and a byproduct of that is greater than you will ever know
 
● It is a weapon of warfare against the forces of darkness
 
● Faith is our protector against the Devil
 
Luke 22:31-32 CSB
31 “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Eph 6:16 CSB 
● In every situation, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
 
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT 
8Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
 
● So our faith is of vital importance as believers, it protects us from evil

● What is faith?
 
Hebrews 11:1 CSB 
1Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
 
● Our faith is what gives substance to the things we hope for because we seek God and know him, we know his character because of his word, and we can trust that he is who he says he is
● You can’t always feel God or see God or have an emotional response with God, but faith is the proof of what is not seen because of our confidence in who Jesus is
● Our Faith protects us from Satan because it gives us confidence that he is a defeated foe
 
● But so many of you do not know this because you do not read
 
● READ THE SCRIPTURES FOR YOURSELVES  
 
● The Devil is a LIAR
● And dark forces will attack you, get over it
● The bigger the calling, the bigger the anointing, the bigger the attack
 
● And if you are getting attacked, GOOD  
● The Devil only attacks what he doesn’t own  


Ephesians 1:3-7 CSB 
3Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. , 5He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.
 
● And he saw this happen before the foundation of the world, and said they are worth it
● And all he asks is for our faith, to seek his face and trust the living, breathing Christ
● He is alive, he sees you, he loves you  
 
Matthew 24:11-13 'Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. '

1 Timothy 4:1 
1Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
 
● Your faith should remain in the person of Jesus; don’t ever walk away from him
● The Devil can’t touch your relationship with Christ
● But if you believe the lies of you not being good enough, you'll talk yourself out of God's goodness


● God doesn’t need your works and your emotions, although they are good, He just needs your FAITH, your trust, your oath, your confidence in the PERSON of JESUS
 
● Our feelings can destroy us, we can get into pools of self-doubt and depression, we can feel all the lies in our heads overwhelming us. We can feel fear and anxiety.
 
● Although God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, he never said we wouldn't feel it  

Hebrews 11

● I never got the emotional release I was wanting, but I got something more, a faith that endured through a really tough season of my life, a faith that's on fire for a brand new season to take and claim territory for the Kingdom of God and to do everything in my power to become a problem for the Kingdom of Hell
● That's what God is calling all of us to do!
● To take territory where we are by faith, and become a problem for the Kingdom of Hell