What are we here for? Pastor Benjamin Foster 7/14/24

praise God we are grateful for our being here on today at Divine Encounter Church and we want to go ahead and move forward and get started on today our opening scripture we're going to have my son to come and read an opening scripture so let's receive Benjamin Foster Jr first Peter chap 1 verse3 and it reads blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to His abundant Mercy hath be begot begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance Incorruptible and undefiled in that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time wherein ye greatly Rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes though it be tried with fire might be found unto praise and honor and Glory at the appearing of Jesus whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye Rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied the grace that should come unto you searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did not they did Minister these things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven which things the Angels desire to look into praise God for the reading of his word amen we're thankful for the reading on today from Benjamin Foster at this time my wife is coming and she's going to open us up with a word of prayer Hallelujah let us stand as we go before the Lord father in the name of Jesus we come lifting up your name we come magnifying you we come exalting your name you are worthy you alone are worthy and we thank you oh God oh God we thank you for giving us Lord God this day giving us Lord God the opportunity to come together Lord God as Believers Lord God as those that are part of the body of Christ as those who are part of your kingdom oh God you've given us this great privilege to unite to come together Lord God to honor you to worship you oh God oh we thank you oh God uh oh how we just lift you up this day uh how we just exalt you oh God and you alone uh oh we praise you oh God H your name is great Lord and greatly to be praised uh we honor you oh God because you are to be honored oh God you who created us uh you who made us you who fashioned us Lord God uh oh you made us in into your very image Lord God we thank you oh god oh we lift up your name Lord and we exalt you this day oh God uh oh God Have Your Way in this place oh God uh have your way in US Lord God uh oh God we are yielded to you oh God uh oh we submit ourselves to you oh God uh we submit ourselves to your will uh we submit ourselves to your way uh oh God we submit this Ministry to you oh god oh have your way oh God let your will be accomplished Lord God oh father let your plans be manifested Lord God oh in the mighty name of Jesus uh oh in the name of Jesus Oh strengthen us Lord God oh as we journey in faith strengthen us Lord God oh give us your Divine enablement uh give us your divine power give us your Divine strength uh give us your Divine ability oh god um oh that we might accomplish Lord God the work of the Kingdom um oh in the mighty name of Jesus Christ um oh God we give ourselves to you oh God uh oh we give ourselves to you uh we recognize Lord God that it is the destiny that you've called for us Lord God that is to be fulfilled in our lives H so we submit to you oh God uh oh we submit our Wills to you oh God uh oh we we submit ourselves to you oh God in the mighty name of Jesus Christ uh oh God Have Your Way in this region in this area that you've planted us to minister oh God draw men to you oh God uh we speak salvation for this region salvation for this area oh in the mighty name of Jesus oh Father give us Innovative strategies Lord God to reach the lost for you oh God for we Endeavor Lord God to do will work for you uh in the mighty name of Jesus anoint us Lord God uh as we move forward Lord God as we go out Lord God uh telling others and sharing Christ with others Lord God uh oh in the mighty name of Jesus Christ uh bless us Lord God bless us today oh God as we hear your word uh as we listen to your word being ministered forth Lord God give us open ears Lord God let us be receptive Lord God of your word your bread from Heaven Lord God oh we are hungry and we're ready oh God to receive a word from you oh God uh oh we want to hear from Heaven Lord God what will you have for us to say uh what will you have for us to do uh what will you have for us to accomplish uh oh we're open and ready oh God to receive your word um anoint Lord God Pastor Ben as he ministers the word of God to us today as the bread of life is min ministered oh God give us Lord God to receive it Lord God to receive it with grateful hearts Lord God that we'll be mindful Lord God of the message and the Very truths and principles that are shared in the mighty name of Jesus oh Father we just thank you right now oh God we just believe and receive these blessings right now for their ours it's the confidence we have in you Lord in Jesus name uh am amen and we give it right back over to Pastor Ben thank you thank you very much praise God so we're we're grateful for the opportunity to look into God's holy word we love God's word and we want to grow in the word of God a big thrust of divine Encounter Church is teaching the teaching of the word we really want to uh want our uh members and our viewer view viewing audience to know the word of God and so we teach the word of God we make it known uh clearly for all to hear praise God so our our message on today we're going to go to Colossians chapter 1 Colossians chapter one and we want to start at verse number 13 am Colossians chapter 1 and verse 13 where it reads who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son in whom we have Redemption through his blood even the Forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of every creature for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or Powers all things were created by Him and for him praise God may God add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of his word so today we want to talk about what are we here for what are we here for this is a common question that people ask in this world what are we here for what is our purpose as human beings what did God put us here on planet Earth to do what are we here for we're out here floating in the middle of the Milky Way galaxy which is in the midst of a vast universe that is filled with galaxies okay and yet we find ourselves here on planet Earth and we find ourselves uh wandering through this world and wondering what we really are here for what is our purpose why why did uh why did God make us this is one of the big questions of life it's a big question that many people ask in general generation after generation of people come to the same question what are we here for okay because if we don't have a purpose it's all pointless if we don't have a purpose it's all useless it's all just a big waste of time if we don't have a purpose and so we we've got to know why we are here okay we got to know the reason that we are here the big question the big one of the biggest questions of Life why are we here well one thing we've got to understand is this is that one we belong to God okay as human beings we belong to God because he created us Psalm 24 And1 says the Earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein okay so the world belongs to God but also those that dwell in the world we all belong to God we belong to God in the sense that he created us and he's the one that gave us life he's the one that made us gave us uh the ability to move and to exist he's the one that gave us a spirit and gave us existence itself God is the one that gave you your life you wouldn't be here you wouldn't have any existence whatsoever if it wasn't for your Creator and so he has a right he has a right as your creator to make certain demands from you okay and the first principle is this we belong to God okay God actually owns us whether we realize it or not he owns us he has a right to expect certain things out of us uh just like if you uh were to create something yourself whatever it is that you create I'm sure that you would have a purpose for it and there's a reason that you would have created that given thing and you would expect something from that thing you wouldn't just create that thing without any purpose and without any reason you'd have a reason for having given that thing existence everything you do you do it for a reason okay so we belong to God and according to Colossians chapter one we were created for God all things were created by Him and for him okay all things were created by Him and for him okay uh whether it's in heaven or whether it's in the earth whether it's visible and you can see it with the naked eye or it's invisible whether it's a throne whether it's a Dominion whether it's a principality whether it's a power all things were created by Him and for him okay so that's the second point is that we we were created for God okay so uh by God and for God so we've got to uh realize that simplistic principle is not all that complicated it's simple enough for a little child to understand okay you were created by God and for God okay and so the big problem that we as human beings face is this there's a lack of fulfillment within our hearts H without God there's a lack of fulfillment in our hearts without knowing our purpose and why we are here there's a lack of fulfillment that we all deal with as human beings created in the very image of God we lack fulfillment there is a a emptiness within us all there's an emptiness within our hearts without god without his grace and his power in our lives we're empty on the inside there's an emptiness that we will discover with time you know there's a song uh that song I believe the group is the Rolling Stones they sing this song uh I Can't Get No Satisfaction though I try and I try and I try and I try and this song has become very popular over the years I Can't Get No Satisfaction and it's true concerning us as human beings without God it's true conning concerning us as human beings without a relationship with God without us genuinely knowing god and walking with him and knowing what our purpose is absent of us Walking with God and fellowshipping with him and having a genuine relationship with him I agree with that song you can't get any satisfaction you just can't get it I don't care how hard you try I don't care how hard you work at it I don't care how much effort you put into it I don't care how creative your ideas are there is no satisfaction for the human heart without his creator there's no satisfaction we wander through this Earth and we wonder what we're here for but there's no fulfillment there's no peace there's no lasting Joy why because we're disconnected from our creator we're disconnected from the one that gave us life we're disconnected from the one that gave us a purpose we're disconnected from the one that gives us inner fulfillment there's a disconnection this is the problem with us as human beings when we don't have the Lord Jesus living in our hearts there's an emptiness inside of us that lack of fulfillment uh expresses itself in many different ways we see people in this world doing all kinds of things to try to feel that emptiness that they're experiencing we see people in this world doing all kinds of things all kinds of experiments with their lives in order to see if they can somehow find a way to find fulfillment to find true joy to find lasting peace this is what is going on in our world and this is the story of man from the beginning of time it's the very Story of Man without his creator ever since Adam and Eve fell and they fell away from God and they left the paradise of Eden the per place of perfection that God made for man and what happened we fell into a state of futility we fell into a state in which we're just wandering this world and wondering uh what we're here for we fail into this state and so this is not God's Vision this is not God's plan for us as human beings but this is something that came upon us through sin sin has resulted in us as human beings falling into this state we wander about searching we search and search for fulfillment rest the answer why am I here we wander wondering the answer but you just can't find it without the grace of God without God giving you a relationship and giving you uh to walk with him and to have a relationship with him you are not going to find fulfillment people use so many different things to fill that void to feel that emptiness in their hearts some people say you know what H I'm gonna go after a career I'm gonna go after this certain career and I'm gonna uh pursue that and if I can have that career whatever it may be maybe it's an actor maybe it's an actress uh maybe it's a newscaster whatever career it is they think well if I could just get that dream career maybe it's the being the CEO of a corporation they think if I can just become the CEO of that Corporation then I'll be fulfilled I I have a sense of real fulfillment I won't have this sense of emptiness I won't have to deal with this no more I won't have this sense of futility like my life is just a waste I won't have this sense no more if I can just get the right career so they think another person says you know what uh I'm going to make finding my soulmate that's my purpose for life I'm going to go after my soulmate I'm gonna find this perfect person for me and when I find that perfect person for me then I'm gonna have true fulfillment then I'm gonna have true Joy if I can find Mr Right or mes right and so people get involved they fall in into this kind of way of thinking they fall into this kind of way of living they go in pursuit of various things to try to fulfill The Emptiness inside and so they go out looking for a soulmate then others say you know what I think that uh I could find genuine joy and genuine peace I could find genuine happiness if I could just get enough money if I could get enough money and I could get uh riches Untold and people respected me in society and everybody looked at me and said you are somebody you are somebody big and you're not just an ordinary person you're different you've entered the class of the ultra rich and some people think that that would give them fulfillment but the sad reality is this the rich and the poor alike they have this in common both of them are out chasing after drugs and alcohol to find fulfillment the rich and the poor alike you go to the poor areas of the city you'll find that there's alcoholics and drug addicts then you go to the upper echelon of society to the richest of the Rich and you'll find the same thing drug addicts and alcoholics the same thing and so it doesn't make sense what you'll find is this there's uh a lack of fulfillment amongst the poor as well as amongst the rich doesn't matter there's still a lack of fulfillment money will not satisfy the human longing for God money will not satisfy the longing that we have in our hearts for genuine fulfillment money is not going to satisfy it I don't care how much you get it just it'll never satisfy you the Bible says he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver other words no matter how much money you get you won't be satisfied with it okay you look at the the ultra rich and you see what you see what are they into you know what they're into trying to get more money working trying to get more money hustling working how can I get more money how can I lay up more wealth for myself uh and for my Offspring this is what's going on okay people got billions of dollars Oprah Winfrey a billionaire if I'm correct she's around 70 years old somewhere in that vicinity at that age she's still working and hustling trying to figure out how I can get more is't that something the great Oprah Winfrey all of the wealth that she has she's still looking for more Elon Musk the richest man in the entire entire world nobody got more money than him okay he he's the richest man in the entire world net worth of over a hundred billion dollars okay the richest man in the world and you know what Elon Musk you know what his main thrust in life is you know what his main focus in life is working trying to make more money trying to do uh more in order to build his companies and make them bigger and bigger and bigger he works I believe a 100 hours plus per week a 100 hours plus and he got more money than he can ever spend in many lifetimes all of that money that he has is not enough is not enough it doesn't satisfy him and he's still longing for more he still wants more he still got to have more looking for that next breakthrough that can make him even richer this is what's going on with the Altra Rich then you got uh people that give themselves to drugs alcohol and they get deceived into believing that you know what uh drugs and alcohol are the answer many people get deceived by drugs and alcohol they actually believe that somehow that's what life is about they get deceived and they get tricked and because of this deception they end up becoming alcoholics and drug addicts they got tricked into thinking that somehow those substances uh could satisfy them those substances could somehow feel the emptiness and the void and the loneliness of The Human Condition somehow the drugs and the alcohol are the answer in every generation it seems like there's a new drug that people get excited about and they think that that drug is it that drug is somehow gonna give them the answer to life uh but time and time again in each generation people get humbled and realize that drugs only destroy you they ruin your life and mess you up and cause hor horrific addictions and horrific psychological problems LSD is such a drug that is so powerful that if you tell your psychiatrist that you took it he has to note on your record he might have to note on your record that you have mental issues just because you took that drug that drug is that powerful but the funny thing about it is that even in our generation as learned as we're supposed to be as knowledgeable as we are supposed to be in our generation as much as we supposedly have learned from the falsehood and the errors of the past yet in still people are still trying to take LSD going right after it taking LSD doesn't make sense people turn to heroin again as destructive as heroin was we saw in our history its destructive power yes we saw how it ruined people's lives killed them early robbed them of their health caused them to be walking around like zombies zombies looking for that next fix messed people's lives up ruin their veins and arteries and got them looking uh horrible when you look at their arms and the different areas where that they take the needle injections causes those people to look absolutely horrible to the point they have to cover their arms it's that bad but somehow much to my surprise heroin made a comeback and wiped out many many teenagers many young people got deceived and started taking heroin there was a heroin opiate opioid epidemic okay this is what happened and what a shock it was how could something as devastating as heroin uh that we have chronicled the damage that it has done to people we've chronicled how dangerous it is how could that drug make a comeback how could it possibly make a comeback if we after we saw its horrific effects but somehow it did that tells you that man is determined to find fulfillment man is determined to find fulfillment but the only thing is that as men look for fulfillment they are also determined to find fulfillment outside of God this is what H is going on and has gone on in every generation people are determined to find fulfillment but they're determined to find it from another source another source outside of God another source that they don't have to be accountable to another source that they don't have to bow the knee to another source that they can rule over and have dominion over it rather than that thing or that being having dominion over them and this is what people are looking for and the sad and ironic thing is this those that turn to drugs and alcohol or whatever it is they turn to they think that they're going to have freedom in it they think they're going to have freedom uh to live their lives the way they want to live it and to do what they want to do but what ends up happening is that they become slaves to those other things the drugs become their master the alcohol becomes their Master the money becomes their Master their career becomes their master all of these other things uh they step in and take the position of God and the person is stuck they're stuck being lorded over by something you see you're going to serve somebody you're going to worship somebody if you know if you don't worship God you're going to worship something else if you don't serve God you're gonna serve something else if you don't yield your life to Jesus Christ you're gonna end up serving something or someone else and that is the reality the reality of human exist existence without God you will not find satisfaction and without God you're gonna find something else that you're gonna end up serving as though it was God The Atheist thinks that he's found freedom and says you know what I don't have to serve God and uh follow him and do what he wants me to do I can just do as I please and I'll be an atheist and I'll have genuine happiness and I'll have genuine uh freedom but what the S reality is this they end up serving themselves they end up serving their own sinful desires they end up serving their own sinful passions and they end up being driven by something else if you're going to uh serve God uh you have the blessing that you get freed from other things okay you have the blessing of Freedom you have the blessing that that you can freely do what God created you to do and that is to live righteously you can freely do that when you live for him and you yield your life to him he sets you free yes but when you become deceived and you follow your own ways and think that that there's genuine freedom in following your own ways there's genuine you think there's genuine freedom in doing things your own way what ends up happening is that you become a servant to sin so you're either gonna be a servant of righteousness or you're GNA be a servant of sin is one or the other you're either GNA be a servant of righteousness or a servant of sin and so what we got to understand as human beings is this we can only find true fulfillment if we do what we were designed to do that's where true fulfillment is found do what you were designed to do you see the Eagles were made to soar that's the grace that God gave the eagle that thing can soar higher than any other Bird eagles were made to soar they they they get a sense of fulfillment when they soar the lions were made to Roar the Lions they get a sense of fulfillment when they Roar and they roam freely as king of the jungle they get a sense of fulfillment from that they Roar and they manifest and demonstrate their power and their minion and the animal kingdom gives them fulfillment the deer were made to run yes something about deer they can just run they can just Glide so easily they were made to run but what about man what about us what is our purpose why are we here well God has uniquely designed us for for what purpose to follow him and to enjoy him in Endless spiritual communion that's what our purpose is all about we were made to follow God follow him know what his will is for us and follow that okay not only is God calling us to follow follow him and do what he wants us to do but he's also calling us to learn to enjoy him God wants to enjoy you and he wants you to enjoy him and the Eternal ages to come that's what you're G to be doing you're going to be learning more and more about God yes the greatness of who he is the joy of his presence the joy of the communion and the Bliss of his holy presence there's a bliss that you experience that you can only experience in God it's an endless communion it will never end that's what God is calling man to that's what God desires for us he wants us to have pleasure oh yeah he wants you to have pleasure the Bible says at his right hand there are Pleasures forever more yes okay yes God he wants you to have pleasure but the thing is that he wants you to have pleasure that is according to righteousness according to his standards he wants you to have pleasure that is his way wants you to follow him and do things his way why because he knows that if you don't do it that way you won't be fulfilled he's concerned about you yes he knows that if you if you don't do it his way you're not going to be fulfilled inwardly you're going to have a sense of emptiness he knows that if you go to drugs career alcohol riches he knows you won't find fulfillment there you find your special soulmate after going all the way around the world you find your soulmate he knows that's not going to fulfill you he knows that he didn't make any person with the capacity and the power to fully fulfill you he knows that and because he knows that he calls you to himself he calls you to him so you can have genuine Joy genuine peace genuine happiness in him that's what we are here for okay H it's about endless communion he wants you to have pleasure but pleasure the right way if you get get pleasure somewhere else outside of God that pleasure is gonna be a master over you whatever it is that you replace god with that thing is gonna have power and dominion over you because you're bwing the knee to it you see this is a spiritual principle whatever it is that you bow the knee to in place of God is going to have dominion over your life it's going to rule over you it's going to dominate you you can't just worship an idol and expect it uh that Idol uh to give you certain benefits and and not have any consequences whatsoever from worshiping that Idol no you you shouldn't be so foolish as to believe believe that you can bow down before uh an idol which is really a demon that's what it is when you worship idols people that bow their knee to Buddha they whether they realize it or not they're bowing the knee to a devil to a demon okay and when you bow your knee to these idols and these other gods whatever it may be you are opening a door for that thing to take Dominion in your life you're opening a door for that thing to be your lord and that thing says okay I'm I'm your God you you said I'm not GNA bow down to the true and living God you're gonna bow down to me boom that thing becomes your God yes demons Devils they take the place of God whatever it is in your life that you're uh that's more important to you than God is that thing has become an idol if it's more important in your life than God it is your idol yes and it's gonna dominate your life it's an idol so uh God wants us to enjoy him God gets great pleasure when we as humans enjoy him not only do we get pleasure when we enjoy God's presence but God gets pleasure too because we're in the right place because we're doing what we were intended by God to do because we're fulfilling our purpose our lives are not being destroyed and messed up and God is getting pleasure God is honored by that he likes it when we uh do things his way he likes it uh when uh when we live according to his standards he loves it when we do that okay and there's pleasure on our part there's great joy on our part because we're in the right place there's joy great peace in the presence of the Lord hallelujah so uh knowing god in deep friendship is what God envisions for your life that's what God envisions for you that's God's desire and his plan and his purpose for you he wants you to know him in deep friendship he wants you to know him in a deep relationship God is not pleased with us as human beings just going our own way and living according to our own plans he wants us to live according to his plans and his plan for you is that you really know him that you really walk with him that you really commune with him that's the vision of God he wants you to know him and fellowship with him and have the the wondrous pleasure that is associated with knowing the true and living God think about it after you've been with God in heaven for a trilli years that's only the beginning you've only just begun to walk uh with God and to really know God after a trillion years of time that's only the beginning there's no end to God there's no end to his vastness his greatness the greatness of knowing him it's greater than you can imagine it's greater than your mind can conceive like the scripture says says Eye Has Not Seen Ear Has Not Heard neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them that love him it would blow your mind if you had any clue any idea concerning what God has prepared for you God has prepared riches Untold for you God has made you an heir of God he's made you a join air with Jesus Christ he has brought you from the place of being his enemy and a person that had his back turned towards God he's brought you from that place to the place where that you've been turned and now you're his friend now uh you're walking with him now you're talking with him now you're fellowshipping with him and now his desire and passion for us God the scripture lets us know that we are Heirs of God and that we're join ears with Christ Jesus said I'm going away I'm GNA prepare a place for you that where I am there you may be also you got a lot to look forward to we're going to a place where there's not going to be any more sorrow Sorrows we're going to a place where there's not going to be any more pain we're going to a place where there's going to be Joy forever more peace that is Indescribable and we're gonna find genuine rest that's what we're going to find uh if we keep on and we follow the lord to the end yes the B gives uses the word genosco that's the Greek word for knowing god this word ganoso uh what it means is this it means to know God as an intimate friend intimate friendship with God close friendship okay that's what it means this Goos knowledge that's what God envisions for you as the saint of God that you know him yes the Cry of the Apostle Paul's heart was that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death yeah that was his desire he said I want to know I want to know Jesus Christ Paul recognized that knowing Jesus surpasses greatness it surpasses greatness to know Jesus Paul was willing to consider all things as dong that he might know Jesus that he might have fellowship with him we've got to recognize the value of knowing Jesus knowing Jesus closely as a close friend I don't know about you but I'm after a close friendship with the Lord I'm not just after just oh I just want to know the Lord as my provider and I want to know the Lord as someone who helps to take care of me no I want to know him as a close friend I want to walk with God I want to talk with God I want to fellowship with him we've got to pursue this we got to pursue this kind of relationship where that we walk closely with the Lord we got got to pursue this by the grace of God we got to long for this deep friendship with the Lord as much as Paul the Apostle had achieved for the Lord he had done a lot for God he said I labored more abundantly than they all speaking of the other Apostles he said I did I I worked more abundantly than all the other Apostles but yet and still uh Paul still has a longing in his heart Paul raised the dead Paul laid his hands on sick people and saw them healed aprons were taken from Paul's body and handkerchiefs that were taken from his body and they would place them on sick people and they would get up and be healed Paul had a genuine anointing on his life a powerful powerful anointing Paul wrote a great portion of the new Testament more than one half of the New Testament was written by Paul so this man knew God according to uh most people's standards he really knew God he really walked with God the revelations that Paul had were so great that there was given to him a thorn in the flesh so that he wouldn't be exalted above measure he really really walked closely with God and really really knew God but yet and still we see Paul saying in Philippians chapter 3 I want to know him ganoso knowledge is what he's talking about I want to know him okay and ganoso implies Progressive uh relationship Progressive knowledge it's not just oh I know him I know him no it implies Progressive I'm getting to know him deeper and deeper and deeper that's what ganoso implies I'm getting to know the Lord in a deeper and deeper way day by day week by week month by month and year by year I'm getting to know the Lord in a deeper way you see we've got to seek the progressive revelation of Jesus Christ what you knew about Jesus yesterday and in times past that shouldn't satisfy you you should want to know a deeper Dimension a deeper dimension of Jesus you should want to know him greater than you knew him last year greater than you knew him last week you should want to know him in a greater way it shouldn't you should not be satisfied without knowing KN ing Jesus and walking closely with him it should be the longing of your heart as a saint of God to know Jesus in a greater way you should be driven by a passion and a desire to walk more closely with Jesus Hallelujah you should be driven by that passion the yosco knowledge progressive revelation okay Progressive knowledge of God knowing him deeper and deeper growing in knowledge of the Lord and not just any knowledge but close friendship can God count on you to be his close friend see God is looking for people that will step up and will be his close friends people that will walk with him closely and that will fellowship with him closely that's what God is looking for he's looking for people that will have the heart of Abraham who was a friend of God Abraham was a friend of God because he obeyed and when you really know the Lord you'll you you'll obey him you'll follow his plans you'll follow what he tells you to do you'll take the attitude Lord wherever you tell me to go I'll go for you whatever you tell me to do I'll do for you whatever you tell me to say I'll say for you if you really really love him and you really really have a genuine friendship with him I wish there was more people that would have a passion and say God give me what Abraham had make me into a friend take me to the place where that I obey you without questions and I consistently follow you you see if you want to be a friend of God you gotta consistently just obey him as he gives you knowledge as he gives you his word as he speaks to you and gives you his plan for your life you got to follow it got to embrace that plan that's how you become a genuine friend of God Is by embracing his plan embracing his vision for your life so let's go after God let's seek his face that's where the real Joy is hallelujah it's a knowing god that's what you're here for you now my topic is what are we here for let me answer the question the reason that you are here as a human being is to follow God hallelujah hallelujah is to follow God and to enjoy him in Endless spiritual communion as we all stand hallelujah hallelujah Hallelujah I can have some music from our Audio Man Hallelujah glory to Jesus that's what God wants for you today endless spiritual communion Bliss that's his vision for you will you embrace it will will you take the challenge what are you going to do will you take the challenge will you step up by faith and say I I wan to do I want to be one of the daring ones that will walk with God I want to be one of the daring ones that will have a genuine friendship with the Lord will you dare step out and step in to a higher Dimension there's a higher place for you hallelujah hallelujah glory to Jesus thank you for your presence hallelujah hallelujah Glory Glory [Music] Glory [Music] Hallelujah [Music] Glory [Music] Hallelujah oh God strengthen your people today we want to know you in a closer way we want to come into our purpose oh God we want to come into friendship with you we want to come into Fellowship deeper Fellowship we want ginoso knowledge oh God we are not content we are not content we refuse oh God to be content we refuse to be content oh god with what this world has to offer us the pleasures of sin the pleasures of carnality the pleasures oh of of the things of this present world we refuse oh God we refuse to let that be a substitute for you nothing oh God can replace you Hallelujah nothing can replace you oh God nothing can replace [Music] you strengthen us oh God strengthen us oh God to seek you to seek you oh God in a greater way to desire you oh God in a deeper way oh God give us to pray more to fast more to study your word more to meditate in your word more Deliver Us oh God from the pull of this present world and give us to be totally given to you in the things of Heaven let us not be satisfied oh god with what this present world can offer us let us not be deceived oh God by what this present world can offer us but oh God give us a focus on that which pleases you Hallelujah take us higher Lord higher Lord higher in you oh God touch our viewing audience touch Lord God In The Name of Jesus strengthen in the faith deliver from the power of this present age the power oh God that pulls them away from their purpose deliver oh God in Jesus name oh God we pray pray that you would touch and save save Lord God In The Name of Jesus anyone in our viewing audience if you know that you need to come to Jesus Christ and make the first step today is the day of salvation this is your time tomorrow is not promised there's no guarantee you're G to even wake up to see another day it's time to get right with the Lord Lord if you're hearing my voice today this could be your last chance this could be it for you so I want to pray a prayer Pray this prayer in sincerity and mean it from the bottom of your heart dear Lord Jesus I ask you to come into my heart and to save me I believe believe that you died on the cross of Calvary for my sins and you were buried and that you rose again from the dead on the third day and I make the decision today to turn repent turn from what is wrong turn from what is Unholy turn from a life of living in sin and I make the decision to embrace you to embrace you Lord Jesus and to follow you to follow you the rest of my days in Jesus name amen praise God hallelujah ljah hallelujah hallelujah if you prayed that prayer we're glad today and we welcome you to the body of Christ we want to help you we want to assist you in growing in your faith we want to see you grow we want to see you develop and become stronger in the things of God so uh we're here we exist for that purpose and you can meet us here in person I I want to invite you today you can meet us here in person we meet at uh the Wasau Community College an Arbor Michigan we meet at the Morris Lawrence building on Sundays at 3M and our normal location is room [Music] ml150 so we invite you to come out see us in person uh and you'll be glad that you did praise so we're grateful today for everything and at this time I want to have my wife evangelist Mary to come forward and she can uh give us any announcements at this time let us receive her amen thank you Pastor Ben uh the Divine Encounter Church weekly announcements uh our Sunday worship services are at 3:00 p.m. we meet at the Wasa Community College Morris Lawrence building room ml150 our midweek Services we have our weekly prayer storm on Wednesdays from 6 o'clock a.m. until 7:00 so that's one hour where we bombard heaven where we go before the Lord in prayer and you are welcome to join us by conference call the number for our weekly prayer is posted on our website at www. Divine enounter church.net so you will find the conference call number as well as the access code on our website our Wednesday evening Bible study is held at 7 o'clock p.m. and it is by YouTube live stream so it is virtual you can tune in wherever you are to our Bible study Pastor Ben Minister an awesome word during our midweek Bible study we encourage that you follow our ministry that you keep up with us that you check out our YouTube channel we add videos here and there of Street interviews that are done with individuals where we are sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ you will find our YouTube channel also on our website at www.de Vine encounter church.net we want to thank you in our viewing audience as well as you who are in person these are our weekly announcements God bless you Pastor Ben at this time