Intimacy, Food and Fellowship
8th Oct 06 - Hazlemere Church - High Wycombe
It was great to have Anne-Marie and the girls with me on this visit. Thank you to Michael and Elizabeth for the hospitality.

I took the morning service and then we stayed for lunch with the church so I could get to know everyone better. They regularly do this as a church anyway.

A Need for Intimacy - John 17:20-26 - preached at the morning service

Intimacy - Hijacked by society

Unfortunately to society "Intimacy" has one level - 'Sexual'. The bible puts the Intimacy of Sex at the end of a journey called marriage. The couple get to "KNOW" each other as friends through a pure courtship and engagement, and after making promises before God and church for the rest of their lives they "KNOW" each other physically. Society though removes this journey of knowledge and places Sex 'wrongly' at the beginning. One person I spoke to years ago, felt it was immoral to marry someone before sleeping with them, because you did not really know(?) them until you had slept with them. How sad! Its not until we know that one person intimately, and are secure within a life long commitment , do we then and only then express our love for them, in the intimacy of a sexual relationship. Compare the "Wonder" of Proverbs 30:19 with the shallow, matter of fact, self-centeredness of v20.

Intimacy - The Friendship Within

In John 17 Jesus prays for the Church to have intimacy with Himself and with His Father. This is prayed just before He is arrested, and we see His hearts desire for His people. Do we know what this True Love means? When we think of love we think of caring for each other, but its a lot more than that. Intimacy is putting yourselves in a vulnerable position with one another, trusting the other person will be gentle with you as you share your deepest fear, weakest failing, guilt and sins, maybe a bereavement or even a prayer time. We can never force this type of intimacy within a church, by telling everyone to hug each other etc. NO WAY! But do we hinder it, because there is a culture of gossiping, pride, judgmentalism or being too busy to listen to each other. One of the best ways of enabling someone to open up, is if we first of all entrust them with our weaknesses and fears.

Intimacy - Friendship Outwardly

So what has this got to do with outreach? Everything! For starters Jesus said "they will know you are my disciples by your love one for another", but more importantly, one of the most intimate conversations you can ever have with someone is leading them to Christ. If you're not used to being intimate with believers then how can you hope to have this level of intimacy with someone seeking Jesus. Does intimacy frighten you? Get practicing within the church by loving one another in true friendship. How well do people outside of the church know you? Have you ever asked them for help or confided in them? If not then they will never understand how knowing Jesus helps you with our failings, fears and doubts? Do they know you well enough to confide their deepest fears or guilt with you? Are you non-judgmental, humble and gentle enough to handle their vulnerabilities.

Wow! just posted my blog and then checked out a mates blog, and he had just wrote on the same subject today as well. Check it out! Far better than mine as he gives a working example in the last few days!!!!
http://thecrowdedhouse.blogspot.com/2006/10/in-evangelism-training-with-new.html