Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchPastor/TeacherPastor/Teacher

Jim RickardJim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.orgSunday, January 13, 2013Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Book of ProverbsThe Book of ProverbsChapter 3Chapter 3

Prov 3:32-35Prov 3:32-35God’s Intimacy with the God’s Intimacy with the

Righteous!Righteous!

““IntimateIntimate” – SOD,” – SOD,“Council, counsel, or “Council, counsel, or

assembly.”assembly.”

““IntimateIntimate” – SOD,” – SOD,“Council, counsel, or “Council, counsel, or

assembly.” assembly.” The intimate knowledge you The intimate knowledge you have of someone, i.e. their have of someone, i.e. their

secrets; private and intimate secrets; private and intimate communication.communication.

The assembly of God’s The assembly of God’s righteous worshipers are righteous worshipers are

denoted as “SOD.” denoted as “SOD.”

Psa 111:1; Ezek 13:9; Psa 111:1; Ezek 13:9; Jer 23:18, 22; Amos 3:7Jer 23:18, 22; Amos 3:7

Psa 111:1,Psa 111:1,“Praise the LORD! I will give “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all thanks to the LORD with all mymy heart, in the company of heart, in the company of

the upright and in the the upright and in the assembly.”assembly.”

Jer 23:18,Jer 23:18,“But if they had stood in My “But if they had stood in My council then they would have council then they would have announced My words to My announced My words to My

people, and would have turned people, and would have turned them back from their evil way them back from their evil way

and from the evil of their and from the evil of their deeds.”deeds.”

Amos 3:7,Amos 3:7,“Surely the Lord GOD does “Surely the Lord GOD does

nothing unless He reveals His nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants secret counsel to His servants

the prophets.”the prophets.”

From God’s council comes From God’s council comes His wisdom. His wisdom.

Job 15:8a,Job 15:8a,“Do you hear the secret “Do you hear the secret

counsel of God.” counsel of God.”

The intimate fellowship and The intimate fellowship and blessings of the Lord’s most blessings of the Lord’s most

private council, we have private council, we have through His Word made through His Word made

understandable by His Spirit. understandable by His Spirit. 2 Sam 23:2; Zech 4:6; 2 Sam 23:2; Zech 4:6;

1 Thes 1:51 Thes 1:5

2 Sam 23:2,2 Sam 23:2,“The Spirit of the LORD “The Spirit of the LORD

spoke by me, and His word spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.”was on my tongue.”

Zech 4:6,Zech 4:6,“Then he said to me, “This is “Then he said to me, “This is

the word of the LORD to the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, (RUACH),’ says My Spirit, (RUACH),’ says

the LORD of hosts.”the LORD of hosts.”

1 Thes 1:5,1 Thes 1:5,“For our gospel did not come “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also to you in word only, but also

in power and in the Holy in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full Spirit and with full

conviction.” conviction.”

The blessings of God’s The blessings of God’s intimate fellowship are implied intimate fellowship are implied

in Job 29:4, in Job 29:4, “As I was in the prime of my “As I was in the prime of my days, when the days, when the friendshipfriendship of of

God God waswas over my tent” over my tent”

Abraham is our example of Abraham is our example of this friendship intimacy.this friendship intimacy.

Gen 18:17; James 2:23 Gen 18:17; James 2:23

James 2:23,James 2:23,“And the Scripture was “And the Scripture was

fulfilled which says, “And fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it Abraham believed God, and it

was reckoned to him as was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.”called the friend of God.”

Gen 18:17,Gen 18:17,“The LORD said, “Shall I “The LORD said, “Shall I

hide from Abraham what I am hide from Abraham what I am about to do.”about to do.”

When you have a right-When you have a right-standing relationship with standing relationship with

God, you have a life of God, you have a life of freedom, liberty, and delight, freedom, liberty, and delight, because you because you areare God’s will. God’s will.

Luke 22:42 Luke 22:42

This friendship is This friendship is accomplished by the Lord accomplished by the Lord

sharing His secrets.sharing His secrets.(Mystery Doctrine) (Mystery Doctrine) Prov 7:4; Rom 16:5; Prov 7:4; Rom 16:5;

1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:9; 3:3-9; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:9; 3:3-9; Col 1:26-27; 1 Tim 3:15-16 Col 1:26-27; 1 Tim 3:15-16

Prov 7:4, Prov 7:4, “Say to wisdom, “You are my “Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding sister,” and call understanding

youryour intimate friend.” intimate friend.”

1 Cor 2:7,1 Cor 2:7,“But we speak God’s wisdom “But we speak God’s wisdom

in a in a mysterymystery, the , the hiddenhidden wisdomwisdom which God which God

predestined before the ages to predestined before the ages to our glory.”our glory.”

The devious person does not The devious person does not know God’s Word and have know God’s Word and have

another friendship, friendship another friendship, friendship with the world.with the world.

Cf. Prov 15:9; John 15:15; Cf. Prov 15:9; John 15:15; James 4:4James 4:4

Prov 15:9,Prov 15:9,“The way of the wicked is an “The way of the wicked is an

abomination to the LORD, abomination to the LORD, but He loves one who pursues but He loves one who pursues

righteousness.”righteousness.”

James 4:4, James 4:4, “You adulteresses, do you not “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to Therefore whoever wishes to

be a friend of the world makes be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”himself an enemy of God.”

In John 15:15, Jesus called In John 15:15, Jesus called the disciples friends because the disciples friends because He opened to them His mind; He opened to them His mind; made known His plans; and made known His plans; and

acquainted them with the plan acquainted them with the plan of God the Father.of God the Father.

As He did with Moses, As He did with Moses, Ex 33:11, “Thus the LORD Ex 33:11, “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to face, just as a man speaks

to his friend.”to his friend.”

2 Cor 4:7,2 Cor 4:7,“But we have this treasure in “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the surpassing greatness of the

power will be of God and not power will be of God and not from ourselves.”from ourselves.”

True friendship is rare on True friendship is rare on earth. It means identifying earth. It means identifying with someone in thought, with someone in thought,

heart, and spirit.heart, and spirit.

Yet God has designed the Yet God has designed the whole experience of life to whole experience of life to enable us to enter into this enable us to enter into this closest relationship with closest relationship with

Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.

If you want to maintain If you want to maintain personal intimacy with Christ, personal intimacy with Christ,

it means refusing to do or it means refusing to do or even think certain things; even think certain things;

things that are acceptable for things that are acceptable for others will become others will become

unacceptable for you.unacceptable for you.

And in intimate personal And in intimate personal belief you commit yourself belief you commit yourself

spiritually to Jesus Christ and spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.dominated by Him alone.

Grace OfferingGrace Offering

1 Tim 5:18, 1 Tim 5:18, “You shall not muzzle “You shall not muzzle

the ox while he is the ox while he is threshing, and the laborer threshing, and the laborer is worthy of his wages.”is worthy of his wages.”

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchSunday, January 13, 2013Sunday, January 13, 2013

Tape # 13-004Tape # 13-004

Proverbs Chapter 3 Proverbs Chapter 3

God’s Intimacy with the Righteous!God’s Intimacy with the Righteous!

Prov 3:32-35; 7:4; 15:9; Jer 23:18; Amos 3:7; John 15:15; James 2:23Prov 3:32-35; 7:4; 15:9; Jer 23:18; Amos 3:7; John 15:15; James 2:23James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012