Jul. 12, 2026

Background:

• Drawing near to God is having a consistent journey, having a deep relationship with God in prayer, scripture, and fellowship
• We can be in proximity of Jesus and still miss him

Key Sermon Points:

1. Submission to God

• Nothing can get done if someone doesn't submit his will
• Submit means to rank under
• Jesus had to submit to his father and mother
• You cannot be saved if you don't submit to God (Luke 2:51)
• Wives submit unto to your own husband as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:21-24)
• Following Christ means total commitment, even to the point of death

2. Resist the devil

• When we didn't know Jesus, the devil was our master
• Now the devil is a foe
• We must either stand for God or the Devil
• We cannot serve two masters
• Friendship with the world is friendship with satan
• Whoever becomes friends with the world becomes an enemy of God
• Our biggest enemy a lot of times is ourselves because of our flesh
• We must continue to pray to keep the flesh under subjection
• Salvation brings a change
• If we resist the devil, he will leave us

3. A fellowship with Christ

• If we draw near to God, he will draw near to us
• Salvation brings a desire to have a relationship with the savior
• We must read our word, pray on a daily basis, and fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ
• We must approach God with humility
• There are people that come with false faces
• Sometimes we come to church masking and acting, we do not want to be superficial

4. Cleanse your hands you sinner

• This means regular repentance
• Some people don't receive from God because they do not "sin"
• We live in a culture that rejects personal responsibility and downplays sin
• God cannot look upon our sin (1 Timothy 2:8)

5. Humble yourself before God

• We must recognize our limitations before God
• We must rely on his plan for us
• Humility is essential when serving others
• Humility is recognizing what God has done for us (Psalm 8:3-5)
• We must always humble ourselves before the Lord
• God wants us to do it voluntarily before he does it