WEBVTT 00:04.705 --> 00:15.297 [SPEAKER_00]: As we take a deep dive into Jesus High Priestly Prayer in John 17 this week, we will discover together the deep desires of the heart of God. 00:16.699 --> 00:20.904 [SPEAKER_00]: Today we explore Jesus' desire to be known by His people. 00:21.905 --> 00:28.873 [SPEAKER_00]: Isn't it amazing to think that God of the universe desires to be known intimately by you and me? 00:30.034 --> 00:34.459 [SPEAKER_00]: What a beautiful blessing and gift he desires to give each of us. 00:34.793 --> 00:40.722 [SPEAKER_00]: May we take a hold of this gift and experience it fully today as we take a closer look. 00:41.644 --> 00:57.308 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15 podcast. 01:14.585 --> 01:31.395 [SPEAKER_00]: our scripture today comes from John 173 in it Jesus says and this is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 01:34.582 --> 01:43.415 [SPEAKER_00]: In John 173, Jesus states one of the most important and direct truths in all of his high-preasely prayer. 01:44.336 --> 02:01.180 [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus says, and this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 02:01.919 --> 02:11.513 [SPEAKER_00]: not just knowing about God, knowing of God, or knowing others who know God, but truly knowing Him yourself. 02:13.256 --> 02:19.445 [SPEAKER_00]: To be clear, consistently meeting with God directly is not a prerequisite for salvation. 02:20.486 --> 02:31.082 [SPEAKER_00]: I can confidently say that I was saved as a young child, but it took years for me to discover the wealth of relationship available to me through Jesus. 02:32.092 --> 02:39.140 [SPEAKER_00]: I went to church, heard about God, served Him, and tried to live according to biblical principles. 02:39.981 --> 02:44.906 [SPEAKER_00]: But I didn't really know the God I was spending so many hours devoted to. 02:44.926 --> 02:48.730 [SPEAKER_00]: I hadn't really received His love for me. 02:50.172 --> 02:54.517 [SPEAKER_00]: I hadn't experienced the peace and joy of His presence. 02:55.838 --> 02:59.162 [SPEAKER_00]: I hadn't felt him speak to me or guide me directly. 03:00.323 --> 03:08.055 [SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't experiencing the abundant life that only comes from personal, intimate relationship with my father. 03:10.358 --> 03:14.204 [SPEAKER_00]: The truth is that God longs to be known by you. 03:15.646 --> 03:19.692 [SPEAKER_00]: Jesus didn't die for the sole purpose of getting you to heaven. 03:20.914 --> 03:26.162 [SPEAKER_00]: He sacrificed his life that you might truly live while here on earth. 03:27.408 --> 03:34.196 [SPEAKER_00]: you are created to intimately know the God who formed you, saved you, and sustains you. 03:35.438 --> 03:43.447 [SPEAKER_00]: And you will never find lasting peace until your life becomes wrapped up in the reality of his nearness and love. 03:45.730 --> 03:54.360 [SPEAKER_00]: The hope for all of humanity rests in relationship with the only true God 03:55.842 --> 04:03.811 [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing in your life will be set right or brought in line with the power of Christ's death until you know the living God. 04:05.432 --> 04:18.367 [SPEAKER_00]: You will not experience transformation and freedom from the depravity that surrounds you until you've counted everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord. 04:20.569 --> 04:23.352 [SPEAKER_00]: How deeply do you know your Heavenly Father? 04:24.277 --> 04:26.239 [SPEAKER_00]: How real is he in your life? 04:28.322 --> 04:35.350 [SPEAKER_00]: What are you still using to fill the void that can only be satisfied in intimate relationship with Jesus? 04:37.552 --> 04:42.858 [SPEAKER_00]: Come before your father and surrender your past, present, and future. 04:44.520 --> 04:51.128 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask him to guide you into a deeper revelation of his reality, nearness and love. 04:53.082 --> 04:56.468 [SPEAKER_00]: Jeremiah 9 verses 23 and 24 says. 04:57.550 --> 05:00.815 [SPEAKER_00]: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. 05:01.817 --> 05:04.762 [SPEAKER_00]: Let not the mighty man boast in his might. 05:06.064 --> 05:09.370 [SPEAKER_00]: Let not the rich man boast in his riches. 05:09.822 --> 05:23.975 [SPEAKER_00]: but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice and righteousness in the earth. 05:25.017 --> 05:28.405 [SPEAKER_00]: For in these things, I delight to clear the Lord. 05:30.933 --> 05:50.224 [SPEAKER_00]: As you enter into guided prayer, spend time getting to know in greater depth the steadfast love, justice, and righteousness of your God. 06:15.685 --> 06:31.005 [SPEAKER_00]: as we begin, meditate on the importance of knowing your heavenly Father intimately, allow this truth to stir your heart with desire to know God and seek after relationship with him. 06:32.347 --> 06:44.342 [SPEAKER_00]: John 173 says, and this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus 07:28.906 --> 07:29.467 [SPEAKER_00]: and next. 07:30.688 --> 07:36.176 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask God to make the reality of His presence and nearness known to you in these moments. 07:37.558 --> 07:43.066 [SPEAKER_00]: Elevate the Word of God over any lie that God isn't near and available to you. 07:44.668 --> 07:49.935 [SPEAKER_00]: Allow your heart to settle and find rest in His presence even now. 07:51.569 --> 08:00.094 [SPEAKER_00]: Jeremiah 29 13 says, you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 08:43.409 --> 08:58.246 [SPEAKER_00]: And last, spend time getting to know the person of Jesus. 08:59.748 --> 09:12.943 [SPEAKER_00]: While you may not be able to see him with your physical eyes, he will open the eyes of your heart to see him and know him. 09:14.257 --> 09:30.949 [SPEAKER_00]: Ephesians chapter 1 verse 18 says, having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints? 10:15.530 --> 10:19.117 [SPEAKER_00]: As believers, we must learn to live by faith. 10:20.379 --> 10:31.020 [SPEAKER_00]: It's through faith in the truth of God's Word that He is real and that He loves us, that we begin to experience the Christianity Jesus died to give us. 10:32.683 --> 10:37.572 [SPEAKER_00]: Religion apart from relationship leads to spiritual mediocrity. 10:38.345 --> 10:41.971 [SPEAKER_00]: Christ came to set us free from the bonds of the law. 10:43.093 --> 10:51.868 [SPEAKER_00]: He came to usher in a new covenant of grace and intimacy with God rather than a religion of merely rules and regulations. 10:53.331 --> 11:01.264 [SPEAKER_00]: May you grow daily in your pursuit of knowing the reality and love of your heavenly father in Jesus' mecent. 11:32.800 --> 11:35.705 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for listening to today's podcast. 11:36.086 --> 11:38.029 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with First Team. 11:39.111 --> 11:43.399 [SPEAKER_00]: Rest today in the reality that you were made for relationship. 11:44.160 --> 11:46.044 [SPEAKER_00]: You are not what you do. 11:46.965 --> 11:50.151 [SPEAKER_00]: Who you are is the beloved child of God. 11:51.110 --> 12:03.754 [SPEAKER_00]: When you feel the temptation today to define yourself by your accomplishments or to seek value from the opinion of others around you, stop and remember that you don't need approval from anyone. 12:04.676 --> 12:08.763 [SPEAKER_00]: The point of life of all eternity is relationship. 12:10.106 --> 12:14.434 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day and may God bless you as you seek him.