Customer: "I've been ringing 0800 2100 for two days and can't get through to enquiries, can you help?".
Operator: "Where did you get that number from, sir?".
Customer: "It was on the door to the Travel
Centre".
Operator: "Sir, they are our opening hours".

Caller: "Can you give me the telephone number for Jack ?"
Operator: "I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand who you are talking about".
Caller: "On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax machine from the
AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the number for Jack ?"
Operator: "I think you mean the telephone point on the wall".

Tech Support: "I need you to right-click on the
Customer: "OK".
Open Desktop".
Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?".
Customer: "No".
Tech Support: "OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"
Customer: "No".
Tech Support: "OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?".
Customer: "Sure. You told me to write
'click' and I wrote 'click'".

Matthew 5
Jesus takes things to the next level
He says ‘that whoever breaks the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the
Kingdom of God’ (5:19)…

Matthew 5
Jesus takes things to the next level
‘Do not murder or you will be subject to judgment (5:21)…
…But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

Matthew 5
Jesus takes things to the next level
‘You have heard it said do not commit adultery (5:27)….
But I tell you that anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5
Jesus takes things to the next level
Jesus speaks on the issue of
Divorce (5:31ff)….
Jesus counteracted the looseness in morals that prevailed in that day.

Matthew 5
Jesus takes things to the next level
• Oaths (5:33ff)
• If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (5:38ff)
• You have heard it said, ‘love your neighbour and hate your enemy…but I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.(5:43ff)

Matthew 6:5-13
The Great Place of Intimacy
“No nation ever had a higher ideal of prayer than the Jews had; and no religion ever ranked higher in the scale of priorities than the Jews did.”

Matthew 6:5-8
The Great Place of Intimacy
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:5-8 – The Great
Place of Intimacy
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:5-8
The Great Place of Intimacy
Personal Dimension of Prayer
General reference to prayer includes:
– Thanksgiving
– Praise
– Adoration
– Confession of Sin
– Personal petition
– intercession

Matthew 6:5-8
The Great Place of Intimacy
Personal Dimension of Prayer
“The main emphasis is not on the place of prayer but on the attitude of mind and heart”.
Enter into your most private setting
This is a picture of great intimacy between one believer and God the Father

Matthew 6:5-8
The Great Place of Intimacy
Personal Dimension of Prayer
Out of the intimacy we have with the Father flows the spiritual authority of Christ
Solomon’s prayer of dedication (2Chronicles 6)
951 words!!
Spending time with Jesus ushers in a greater sense of intimacy with our Heavenly Father

Matthew 6:9-13
The Great Place of Intimacy
Community Dimension of Prayer
This then is how you should pray:
“Our Father …
Call to: Leaders, Intercessors, Youth/Young
Adults, the Church to Community Prayer
(Household Represented)
SPCC Community Prayer Starts 7 th Feb

Growing a Christ-centred
Intimacy with God
1. KNOWLEDGE
In the OT, to know means closeness / intimacy…
Eph 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Growing a Christ-centred
Intimacy with God
1. KNOWLEDGE
We focus on Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ needs to be kept central.
Regular reading of the word is great for getting to know God

Growing a Christ-centred
Intimacy with God
2. NEARNESS OF GOD
Psalm 145:18 – The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
In my own being, can’t last long as a
Christian without the inner consciousness of the presence and nearness of God…I and we need intimate experiences”
A.W. Tozer

Growing a Christ-centred
Intimacy with God
2. NEARNESS OF GOD
James 4:8 - Come close to God, and
God will come close to you. (NLT)

Growing a Christ-centred
Intimacy with God
3. VULNERABILITY BEFORE GOD
Be real with God – he knows our inmost thoughts and attitudes.
“Good worship and prayer enables us to come to know God at the most intimate of levels.”

Growing a Christ-centred
Intimacy with God
3. VULNERABILITY BEFORE GOD
Spending time with Jesus ushers in a greater sense of intimacy with our
Heavenly Father