Part 1: BE WITH JESUS

BIBLE | PRAYER | PRAISE

The first goal of the Christian life is to be with Jesus. When Jesus called his disciples to follow him, he invited them to remain constantly by his side. His disciples traveled with him, stayed with him, and ate with him. Except when he sent them out to preach, they generally spent all of their time with him.

MARK 3:14

“And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach”

WHAT IS THIS GOAL ALL ABOUT?

Any apprentice seeking to learn a trade must first spend time shadowing their teacher. In the same way, we cannot expect to become like Jesus or join him in his work unless we first spend time with Jesus. But there’s an even more foundational reason why disciples of Jesus seek to be with him—Jesus is God. When we’re with Jesus, we’re in fellowship with God.

In the beginning, God made humanity to be with him through a special covenantal relationship. 1 Then, as we see in Genesis, God came to walk with humans (Adam and Eve) in the Garden of Eden. But when God showed up, humans hid because they had sinned. 2 Thus, sin separated humans from fellowship and enjoyment of God’s presence.

In response, God made a way to restore us to fellowship with him. Ultimately, God came into the world as the man Jesus Christ. 3 One day, God will bring the New Creation, where fellowship between God and us will be restored forever. 4 What about right now, in the time between Jesus’ ascension and his second coming? We have this incredible promise from Jesus: “... And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”. 5

Jesus’ presence is with us now. He’s closer to us now than he was during his physical life on this earth. Specifically, Jesus is present with us through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the people of God. 6

HOW CAN WE PURSUE BEING WITH JESUS?

Jesus is always with us. The problem is that we’re often unaware of his presence. We easily become distracted or busy and forget that Jesus is with us. In the New Creation, this will not be the case! For right now, the goal of every disciple is to practice an awareness of Jesus’ presence.

Three foundational steps for pursuing an awareness of Jesus’ presence are Bible reading, prayer, and praise. Each of these is a practice that the Bible commands for disciples. Though foundational, these disciplines aren’t the end goal. Instead, they’re a means to an end of enjoying God’s presence.

1 Genesis 1-2

2 Genesis 3:8

3 John 1:14

4 Revelation 21:3

5 Matthew 28:20

6 John 14:18-23, 16:6-7, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 2:22, 3:17