Bible School 2025: The Pursuit of God

Introduction

• The goal for the week is to dive deep into spiritual topics as adults while the children receive special instruction.
• The church has been praying for the Holy Spirit to saturate and fill every room, heart, and teacher throughout the week.
  • “It takes the Holy Spirit to do anything that is spiritually important.”
• The focus will be on the pursuit of God, revisiting a topic from the previous year with expanded lessons.
  • Notes will be available for those who want them.
• Pastor Tommy emphasizes the importance of God’s people “getting into that normal, expectant, pushing toward apprehending God every day.”
• The devil uses many “thieves” to steal the relationship with God.
• Pastor Tommy credits A.W. Tozer’s book, The Pursuit of God, as a significant influence.
  • Tozer was a pastor who gave away all royalties from his books and lived a simple life dedicated to serving God.
  • “Here was a man that gave everything he had to serve God…he gave it away and he wrote never owned a car him and his wife would road a bus everywhere they went.”

Revelation 2 and 3: Churches of Ephesus and Laodicea

• The Revelator, through the Holy Spirit, provides a chronological picture of the church age, from the New Testament church to the church of Laodicea.
• Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7):
  • A powerful, growing church filled with the transforming power of God.
  • Known for its works, labor, patience, and intolerance of evil.
  • Criticized for having “left thy first love.”
  • The church is urged to repent and return to their initial devotion.
• Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22):
  • Represents the modern church, characterized by talk of religion but lacking substance.
  • Materially rich but spiritually “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
  • Lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, leading to the threat of being “spewed…out of my mouth.”
  • The church is warned to repent and return to God.
• Pastor Tommy suggests that elements of both churches may be present in contemporary congregations.
  • Some may have lost their first love, worn down by the world.
  • Others may be living in sin and indifferent toward God.
• Both conditions require change and repentance.

The Pursuit of God: An Urge Within Us

• The pursuit of God is spurred by an urge that God places within us.
• The Holy Spirit wants to help individuals move from where they are to where they need to be.
• John 6:44 states, “No man can come unto Me except the Father draw him.”
• It was the Holy Spirit that led individuals to conviction and opened their hearts to faith.
• Pastor Tommy emphasizes that salvation is not the end but the beginning of a journey.
  • “When a person is born again, that is but the inception.”
• The Holy Spirit’s work is essential to prevent individuals from taking credit for their spiritual achievements.
  • “If it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit of God I wouldn’t be saved.”
• The impulse to pursue God originates with God, and the outworking is our following hard after Him.
• Even in pursuit, individuals are already in God’s hand.
• Apathy and indifference toward God are prevalent among Christians.
  • People come to church and leave unchanged, without engaging in personal prayer or Bible study.

Examples of Pursuing God

• David (Psalm 63:1, 8; 42:1-2):
  • Sought God early and thirsted for Him.
  • His soul followed hard after God.
  • “O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee; my soul thirsteth for Thee.”
  • A man after God’s own heart, always wanting more of Him.
• Moses:
  • Spoke with God face to face but desired to see His glory.
  • God honored his request by allowing him to see a glimpse of His glory from the cleft of the rock.
  • Moses’ face shone brightly after the encounter.
  • “Moses got to see it because he asked him for more.”
• Apostle Paul (Philippians 3:12-14, 8-10):
  • Acknowledged that he had not yet attained perfection but continued to follow after God.
  • Pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
  • Counted all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ.
  • Desired to “win Christ” and “know Him.”
  • “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.”

The Current State of the Church

• Many Christians are satisfied with a salvation experience and have a meager opinion of God.
• There is a commission and purpose that should burn in the soul, causing a desire for God.
• Pastor Tommy contrasts spectators with participators in churches.
  • Some are indifferent to the presence of God, even when the Holy Ghost is moving.
  • “In churches today, there’s as many spectators as there are participators, if not more.”
• Pastor Tommy emphasizes that individuals should come to church to get excited about God, not just to watch the preacher.
  • “If you come on Sunday morning expecting to see the preacher get excited and hoping you’ll get blessed somehow from that interaction, you have missed the whole point.”
• The joy is in the journey, the pursuit of God.
• Pastor Tommy encourages listeners to pursue God for a greater experience and to come boldly into His presence.
  • “Come in boldly.”

Symptoms of a Lack of Pursuit

• No Appetite (Matthew 5:6):
  • Lack of hunger and thirst for righteousness.
  • People go for weeks, months, or years with no spiritual appetite.
  • “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
  • This is often because they are “snacking off the devil’s pantry,” filling their lives with junk.
• Lying Tongue (Matthew 15:8-9):
  • Drawing near to God with the mouth but the heart is far from Him.
  • Worship becomes a spectator sport, lacking genuine experience.
  • No spiritual activity or awareness away from the church.
  • “This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”
• Proud Heart (James 4:6):
  • God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
  • Resistance to God due to pride, unwillingness to let go of self.
  • “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
  • Requires submission to God, putting self down and Him up.
• Fear the Deep (Ezekiel 47):
  • Shallow praying and worship, lacking depth and personal connection.
  • Relationship with God is not deepening.
  • “Shallow praying, shallow worship plagues most Christian churches.”
  • Challenge to go deeper with God and follow hard after Him.
• Blindness (Revelation 3:17):
  • Spiritually blind to the truth, unaware of their true condition.
  • Indifference to God’s presence and the moving of the Holy Ghost.
  • “Thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
• Complacency:
  • A deadly foe of spiritual growth.
  • Acute desire must be present for Christ to manifest Himself.
  • “Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.”

The Disease: Self

• The root cause of these symptoms is self (S-E-L-F).
• Luke 9:23 states, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.”
• 1 John 2:16 identifies the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life as being of the world, not of the Father.
• The self-life is fueled by lust and pride, innate within our sin nature.
• The best one can do is daily bring it before the Lord to be crucified.
• Individuals cannot crucify themselves; they need the Holy Spirit’s help.
  • “You can’t crucify you.”
• The Holy Spirit knows how and why to crucify self and will do it when asked.
• James 4:6 reiterates that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
• Romans 12:1 urges believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

Different Self-Problems

• Self-Righteousness:
  • The belief that one is right in their beliefs, attitudes, and behavior and that others are wrong.
  • “Self-righteousness literally means self-right.”
• Self-Pity:
  • Self-indulgent dwelling on one’s own sorrows and misfortunes.
  • A snare used by the enemy.
• Self-Confidence:
  • Confidence in one’s self and in one’s powers and ability.
  • Dangerous because it ignores that our strength comes from God.
• Self-Sufficiency:
  • Able to maintain oneself without help.
  • Denies the need for God and the church.
• Self-Admiration:
  • An exaggerated opinion of one’s own qualities or abilities.
  • Makes one an easy target for the devil because their eyes are on themselves, not on God.
• Self-Love:
  • Love of one’s self, which is pride.
• Everyone is capable and probably guilty of these due to the shared sin nature.
• To pursue God, one must deal with self.

Conclusion

• The remaining sessions will focus on things that help accomplish the pursuit of God.
• The joy is in the journey of pursuing Him.
• Pastor Tommy encourages listeners to seek God and apply the message to their lives.